Scientists Detect Electrical Discharges on Mars for the First Time

Scientists have confirmed that, within the swirling dust storms common on Mars' surface, small electrical discharges occur as the fine particles rid themselves of built-up static by rubbing against one another. This confirms that the Martian atmosphere can form highly oxidizing compounds, which could explain why the planet's surface seems so devoid of organic material, which it once featured in abundance.

Mars has had detectable dust storms for many years, but they've been observable from much closer with the Perseverance rover's SuperCam instrument. Using its microphone, it recorded the first sounds from Mars in 2021 and, to date, has recorded over 30 hours of audio from the Red Planet. While recording, a pair of small dust devils passed the rover, allowing Perseverance to capture strong signals from within the clouds of dust and debris.

Analyses carried out by scientists at the University of Toulouse and the University ...