Massive Clouds Erupted 160 Miles Into Martian Atmosphere – and No One Knows Why

These “mystery clouds” came as a surprise, in particular when considering they were first spotted by a string of amateur astronomers in 2012.

Something big has disturbed the red planet’s thin atmosphere. NASA

Enormous cloud-like plumes reaching 260km (161 miles) above the surface of Mars have left scientists baffled. This is way beyond Mars’s normal weather, reaching into the exosphere where the atmosphere merges with interplanetary space. None of the conventional explanations for such clouds make sense – neither water or carbon dioxide ice nor dust storms nor auroral light emissions usually hit such heights.

Something seems to be amiss. Sanchez-Lavega et al.