Dust storm on Mars.

[osprey]

Not sure if this is in the right category but here goes, it was in the news that there is a major dust storm on Mars. I was under the impression that Mars doesn't have an atmosphere so how is it possible for a dust storm to occur?

[jake-the-peg]

Mars does have an atmosphere mainly CO2 but only about 1% of the Earth's.

That's still enough of an atmoshere for dust storms

[fairkatrina]

Not an expert so you'll probably get a more in-depth answer later, but basically it does have an atmosphere, just not as we know it. Every large mass such as a moon or a planet has its own gravitational force, which traps matter and creates an atmosphere.

[Teddio]

Mars has a very thin atmosphere (less than 1% the density of Earth's), less than half of Earth's gravitational field strength and very high wind speeds. These are quite capable of lifting and supporting vast quantities of fine dust from the Martian surface.