-- Whirling dust devils on Mars probably generate high-voltage electric fields and associated magnetic fields that would need to be considered by future human explorers, scientists said Tuesday.

The conclusion is based on studies in Arizona and Nevada, where researchers raced across the deserts to catch dust devils and drive right through them. They found unexpectedly large electric fields exceeding 4,000 volts per meter.

Dust devils are like miniature tornadoes, though how they develop is completely different. The smallest variety can be kicked up by gentle breezes in a vacant city lot. More notable versions can be as wide as a house or a football field with winds up to 60 mph. They are created by wind that swirls around a column of warm, rising air.

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