Scientists revealed some images in Nature and others at the 31st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in mid-March.
Dust devils are common in arid locations, such as Earth's deserts.
The heat in these regions slowly warms the air just above the surface, eventually forcing the air to rise in spinning columns that kick up loose dust. It is the dust that makes these little, tornado-like vortices actually show up during their short life. In addition, the dust devils help explain seasonal variations in light on the planet. New pictures of the Martian poles similarly shed light on the seasonal and climate differences there. Whereas the south pole has large depressions puctuated by tall, flat mesas, the northern cap features only tiny pits.