How Pressure Changes on Mars: New Insights from MEDA Weather Station


MEDA works using basic physics:

  • Its pressure sensor uses a bending diaphragm whose capacitance changes with atmospheric pressure;

  • temperature sensors use resistance–temperature relationships;

  • wind sensors detect cooling of heated wires;

  • radiation sensors use photodiodes and Stefan–Boltzmann principles; and

  • humidity sensors use changes in polymer conductivity. The pressure interpretation uses the ideal gas law, hydrostatic balance, and CO₂ phase-change equations. 


  • The sunlight, CO₂ freezing/melting at poles, Mars’s orbital position, dust storms, and local crater shape affect pressure on mars.


  • Sunlight causes the Martian atmosphere to heat and cool rapidly each day, creating strong thermal tides that raise pressure at night and lower it during the day


  • Atmospheric Pressure∝Atmospheric Mass 

In Winter CO₂ freezes into solid ice → atmospheric mass decreases so pressure drops on Mars. while in summer the CO₂ ice sublimates back into gas and increases atmospheric mass, raising pressure


  • When mars is closer to the Sun more heating occurs so more CO₂ sublimation happens and higher pressure.


Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.09743



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