Engineering Researchers Advance Understanding of Sound Propagation on Mars

Doctoral student Hayden Baird, a Utah Space Grant Consortium graduate fellow, and his advisor, Professor Z. Charlie Zheng, both of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, were recognized by the American Institute of Physics for their research on simulating sound propagation on Mars. The research team presented their latest simulations of Martian acoustics at the Sixth Joint Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan, in Dec. 2025.

Acoustic signals have been an important marker during NASA's missions and understanding how sound travels on Mars is essential for making full use of acoustic signals. These signals help scientists study the planet's atmosphere — its turbulence, temperature changes, and surface conditions — as well as track the movement of Mars rovers.

By using NASA's detailed atmospheric and terrain data, Baird and Zheng have modeled how sound moves and scatters across the complex landscape of Jezero Crater, the 2021 landing site of the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter. The researchers expect their study to deepen understanding of how weather and terrain shape acoustic propagation in environments that cannot be easily measured directly — Mars being a prime example.

Their model offers a clearer picture of how sound behaves on another planet and may help scientists identify acoustic patterns linked to specific atmospheric events. In the long term, this research could also inform the design of sensors for future planetary missions.

The American Institute of Physics is a non-profit federation that advances, promotes and serves the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity and collaborates with the Acoustical Society of Japan and the Acoustical Society of America. Both societies were a part of the Sixth Joint Meeting.

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Writer: Madeline Buskirk, madeline.buskirk@usu.edu, 435-797-7512

Contact: Z. Charlie Zheng, zzheng@usu.edu, 435-797-2878