Due to the tiny size of dust particles and the low atmospheric pressure, the Martian aeolian activity between Martian dust particles and Martian airflow should be considered as a rarefied two-phase flow. In this paper, a simulation approach for the rarefied characteristic of Martian dust storm has been studied based on discrete element method (DEM). First, the simulation approach based on the DSMC method was studied, and a series of DSMC simulation of Martian rarefied airflow were carried out in dsmcFoam. Second, the DEM simulation approach was used for the simulation of Martian rarefied airflow, and the simulation accuracy was proved by comparing with the DSMC simulation results. Finally, a series of simulation of Martian aeolian activity have been carried out in the DEM simulation software EDEM. This paper provides a new approach for the investigation on the two-phase flow of Martian aeolian activities. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.