Acoustics Reveals Short?Term Air Temperature Fluctuations Near Mars' Surface

Acoustics is new on Mars: it allows the characterization of turbulence at smaller scales than previously possible within lowest part Planetary Boundary Layer. Sound speed measurements, by SuperCam instrument and its microphone onboard NASA Perseverance rover, allow retrieval atmospheric temperatures 0.77 m above ground, 3 Hz, with a ?10 ms response time that 20 to 100 times shorter for typical thermocouple sensors used Mars. Here we report first measurements sound speed-derived temperature fluctuations near surface. Data highlight large rapid up ±7 K/s, whose amplitude over such timescale has never been reported, nor predicted models. These follow daytime pattern occasional high events are likely due conjunction low thermal inertia strong winds.