Dust devils in thin air: Vortex observations at a high-elevation Mars analog site in the Argentinian Puna

Abstract

We report in situ measurements and field observations of dust devils at ~3800-4200 m elevation in the Argentine desert plateau (Puna). These first quantitative data at elevations where the ambient atmospheric pressure is only ~600-700 mbar support the notion that large and strong dust devils may be systematically more common in low-pressure conditions, although regional meteorology and/or surface thermophysical properties may also contribute.