Final answer:
The seasonal changes on Mars affect the planet in multiple ways: they cause significant fluctuations in barometric pressure due to the freezing and subliming of CO₂ polar caps, result in massive dust storms, and result in changes in the size of the ice caps. The planet's orbit and tilt also contribute to its long-term climate cycles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The seasonal changes on Mars create remarkable shifts in the environmental conditions of the planet. One significant change is the fluctuation of the barometric pressure as a result of the Martian atmosphere's carbon dioxide (dry ice) polar caps freezing and sublimating.
Mars experiences dust storms that can engulf the entire planet. These storms are driven by winds that, despite the planet's thin atmosphere, can lift fine dust particles into the air en masse. The dust gives Mars its well-known red color and plays a major role in shaping the planet's surface through erosion.
The polar caps on Mars are particularly notable through a telescope. They expand and recede with the seasons, much like the seasonal snow cover seen on Earth. These caps are made of frozen CO₂ and their periodic expansion to around 50° latitude marks a prominent seasonal event on the planet.
Martian climate and atmosphere are influenced by the planet's changing orbit and tilt, which can cause long-term climate cycles akin to ice ages on Earth. During certain periods, these changes could lead to the melting of Mars' polar caps, perhaps releasing large quantities of water vapor into the Martian air.