Live Dust Devil? Options

[azstrummer]

Man, this looks an awful lot like a dust devil in the distance. What do you think?

[djellison]

Interesting thing if you look at this

http://themis-data.asu.edu/img/V07909002.html

Many of the dust devil tracks ( particularly one ENORMOUS one starting left edge of centre ) start at a crater - or perhaps the northern rim of a crater.

Maybe being in a slight wind 'shadow' allows the air pocket inside the crater to warm up faster in the morning, rise, draw air in down the crater walls and it cycles from there.

Perhaps this is why Opportunity got cleaned so well?

If you look closely - some devils start AT the columbia hills - perhaps a north facing slope playing the same roll as the crater - being a trigger point.

Any glider pilot will tell you - a sun-facing slope is often a good trigger for thermals

Doug