Huge masses of ice are likely hidden beneath the surface of Mars, the European Space Agency (ESA) reported on Thursday, pointing to new data from its Mars Express probe. In the geological formation of Medusae Fossae, layers of ice are probably covered by several hundreds of meters thick layer of dust and ash. In its liquid state, this ice mass could fill the entire Red Sea or cover Mars with a water layer 1.5 to 2.7 meters deep, ESA said.
Paris
6:47 January 19, 2024 Share on Facebook
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There was probably plenty of water on Mars in the past, but now the red planet adjacent to Earth appears to be dried up. (illustrative image) | Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Mars probably had plenty of water in the past, but now the red planet adjacent to Earth appears to be parched. But the latest data shows that there could be huge masses of ice deep in the Martian soil.
The Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF) consists of several wind-formed grooves and is located at the transition between the plateaus and lowlands of Mars near the Martian equator. The formation is possibly the red planet’s largest source of dust and one of its most extensive sediment deposits.
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Already during the first exploration of the formation in 2007, scientists discovered massive sediments that extend to a depth of 2.5 kilometers. Although some data suggest that they contain ice, scientists do not rule out that they are deposits of dust, volcanic ash and other sediments.
At new survey area, with the help of more recent radar images taken by the Mars Express probe, scientists have found that deposits are as thick as 3.7 kilometers in places. In addition, the material in the images was less dense than one might expect.
“Because of the depth, if the MFF is just a huge pile of dust, we would expect it to thicken under its own weight,” said Andrea Cicchetti of the National Institute of Astrophysics in Italy. Even when modeling with ice-free materials, the result did not correspond to the real properties of the investigated formation. “We have to have ice here,” Cicchetti is convinced.
Possible massive ice deposits near the equator would have to have formed in the early climatic epoch. They would not be possible in the current climate on Mars. According to the ESA, the surface of the planet shows numerous signs that Mars was once abundant with water.
Hidden ice could be important for future missions to Mars. They would need water and have to land right near the equator, far from the ice caps or glaciers. “Unfortunately, the IMF deposits are covered by hundreds of meters of dust, so they will not be accessible for at least the next few decades,” said ESA’s Colin Wilson. But every bit of ice will help get a better idea of where water once flowed on Mars and where it can be found now, Wilson added.
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2024-01-19 05:47:00
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