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Martian extratropical cyclones

Nature volume 278, pages 531–532 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

VIKING Orbiter 1 has recently photographed two cloud formations in the northern hemisphere of Mars which closely resemble satellite pictures of terrestrial extratropical cyclones. The pictures, (Figs 1 and 2) were acquired during the summer season and are the first evidence that baroclinic waves, prevalent during other seasons, also occur in summer. Physical properties of these systems deduced from the vidicon images and from the IR thermal mapping experiment (IRTM) are discussed here.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory For Planetary Atmospheres, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London, WC1, UK

    GARRY E. HUNT

  2. Department of Physics, University of Missouri, St Louis, Missouri, 63121

    PHILIP B. JAMES

Authors
  1. GARRY E. HUNT
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  2. PHILIP B. JAMES
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HUNT, G., JAMES, P. Martian extratropical cyclones. Nature 278, 531–532 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/278531a0

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