Nasa’s Mars Insight Lander, which operated from 2018, landed on Earth in December 2022 and recorded seismic activity of over 1,319 quakes. Scientists analyzed the data vibrations and discovered a reservoir of liquid water beneath the Red Planet’s surface.
Now, researchers from Canada and the US have devised a novel sonic anemometric system to measure wind speeds on Mars.
Scientists developed a system that measures the wind using sound waves to improve the astronomical tools for astronauts traveling to Mars.
The instrument features a pair of narrowband piezoelectric transducers that estimate the travel time of sound pulses through Martian air.
Ultrasonic acoustic signals sent in opposite directions
Robert White, associate professor at Tufts University and co-author of the study told Interesting Engineering that Sonic anemometry works by sending ultrasonic acoustic signals in two opposite directions. The time of flight (or phase) of the signals is measured.
He explained that the speed of sound can be extracted from the average time of flight (or phase) for the two received signals. “The component of wind velocity parallel to the acoustic path can be extracted from the difference in time of flight (or phase),” White added.
“Essentially, if the wind is blowing in the same direction as one of the acoustic signals, the signal appears to travel faster, whereas the sound traveling against the wind appears to travel slower.”
The instrument measures sound travel time differences both forward and backward and thus allows a precise measurement of wind in three dimensions. White noted in an official statement that the sonic anemometric system has two main pros: It’s fast and works well at low speeds.
Measuring up to 100 wind speeds per sec
Based on experimentations mimicking Martian conditions , experts estimate that the sonic device could measure up to 100 wind speeds per second and at speeds as low as one cm/s.
In the past, scientists have only been able to document wind speed of one per second and found it challenging to trace speeds below 50 cm/s.
White told IE that other systems previously flown to Mars used either heat loss from a heated patch or wire, or used cameras to image a telltale blowing in the wind.
While these systems provided excellent and useful data, the scientist added that they are limited in update rate (~ one measurement per second) and resolution (~ 50 cm/s). “We believe a sonic anemometer can beat these by a factor of 10 in both update rate (10 samples per second) and resolution (5 cm/s) or perhaps even better.”
The system aims to provide higher resolution, faster, and more accurate wind measurements, paving the way for atmospheric scientists to better comprehend the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere.
Particularly, White says that scientists should be able to resolve turbulent eddies which are critical for mixing the atmosphere. “The system will also give better wind measurements of relevance to future missions for entry-descent-landing and particularly for operation at the surface,” he added.
While the sonic instrument was designed for Mars , it also works effectively in Earth’s stratosphere. White noted that the team has been flying a similar system on high-altitude balloons over the last few years to directly gather atmospheric data about the stratosphere on Earth.
The study was published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA) .
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