Small dust storms on Mars can catapult water into space
While Mars was once a water-rich world, localized dust storms act as atmospheric elevators that loft water vapor high enough for solar radiation to break it apart and cast it into the void.
Mars currently possesses a thin atmosphere only 0.6 percent as dense as Earth's, making it difficult to retain its remaining water. During regional dust storms, water vapor is catapulted to altitudes exceeding 100 kilometers. At these heights, ultraviolet radiation breaks the molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The lightweight hydrogen then reaches an escape velocity of 5 kilometers per second, leaking permanently into space.
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