Giant waves are sweeping Mars’ atmosphere into space
Researchers using data from MAVEN and Tianwen-1 missions have identified Kelvin-Helmholtz waves as a primary cause of atmospheric loss on Mars. These waves, triggered by solar wind, stir the upper atmosphere and pull plasma into space.
Why it matters
Understanding how Mars loses its atmosphere provides critical insights into planetary evolution and the long-term habitability of planets without magnetic shields.
The Sun continuously sends a fast stream of charged particles through space, a phenomenon known as the solar wind. Earth is largely protected from this flow by its global magnetic field, but Mars has no comparable shield. This leaves the planet's upper atmosphere exposed, allowing the solar wind to knock atmospheric particles away and carry them into space.
A new study led by Boston University and published in Science Advances suggests that this atmospheric loss can resemble wind moving across water. On Earth, wind passing over a body of water can create rolling waves and swirling vortices. At Mars, the solar wind appears to produce a similar effect by "stirring" the outer boundary of the upper atmosphere.
This interaction generates enormous boundary waves called Kelvin-Helmholtz waves.
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