The surface of Mars is still very poorly understood by humanity. Recently, an incredible discovery has been made near the equator – scientists from the Smithsonian Institution have discovered unusual deposits that may suggest the presence of huge deposits of water ice. It is said that these would be the largest deposits of frozen water ever discovered in the planet’s central region.
It appears that a nearby planet may harbor more water. Scientists point to the Medusae Fossae formation, a large geological formation that stretches over 5,000 km along the equator of Mars.
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New Mars exploration
In 2007, scientists discovered unusual sediments 2.5 km thick in the Medusae Fossae formation, but at that time they did not know how they could have formed. The area has recently been re-investigated. The latest data from the MARSIS radar belonging to the Mars Express mission were used for the research.
The new discovery was made in the area of the Medusae Fossae© ESA formation
Geologist Thomas Watters of the Smithsonian Institution indicates that the deposits are even larger than originally suspected, at 3.7 km thick. The objects tower several kilometers high and were carved by fierce winds sweeping the surface of Mars.
There may be water ice deposits several kilometers thick on the surface of Mars© Licensor
Given the dustiness of the Medusae Fossae Formation, the sediments may have consisted of buried dust. It could also be volcanic material, sediment from wetter eons of the past, or, intriguingly, water ice.
The largest deposits of water on the equator of Mars
The new research suggests the presence of a layer of dust and ice, all topped by a protective layer of dry dust or ash several hundred meters thick. This means there could be giant layered slabs of buried water ice several kilometers thick beneath the planet’s surface. If the theory turns out to be true, it would be the largest amount of water ever found on this part of Mars – enough to fill Earth’s Red Sea.
This latest analysis challenges our understanding of the Medusae Fossae Formation and raises as many questions as it answers. How long ago did these ice deposits form, and what did Mars look like during that time? If confirmed to be water ice, these vast deposits will change our understanding of Mars’ climate history. Any body of ancient water would be a fascinating target for exploration by humans or robots
Colin Wilson, ESA Mars Express and ESA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) project scientistWater ice is covered by hundreds of meters of dust© ESA
An important object of subsequent missions
The extent and location of the deposits are very important for our future exploration of Mars. Subsequent missions will need to land near the planet’s equator, away from ice-rich polar caps or high-latitude glaciers.
Manned missions to Mars will require finding water deposits. The problem is that deposits in the Medusae Fossae formation are covered with hundreds of meters of dust, making them inaccessible for at least the next few decades.
Paweł Maziarz, journalist of Wirtualna Polska
2024-01-19 22:22:00
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