Produced by: Tarun Mishra
The European Space Agency's Mars Express mission has made a groundbreaking discovery of significant water ice deposits beneath the Martian equator. Details of the discovery are published in Geophysical Research Letters.
Mars Express Orbiter has detected ample water ice buried beneath the Martian equator, with the potential to form a shallow ocean across the entire planet's surface if melted.
With two decades of scientific operations, Mars Express Orbiter has identified the largest known accumulation of water ice near Mars' equator, indicating substantial reservoirs beneath the planet's surface.
Lead researcher Thomas Watters of the Smithsonian Institution underscores the importance of Mars Express' findings, noting similarities between the equatorial ice and Mars' polar caps.
Credit: NASM Photo Services, Mark Avino
The buried water ice, located 3.7 kilometers underground and covered by layers of ash and dust, presents significant challenges for accessing this vital resource in future manned missions.
The Medusae Fossae Formation, where the ice deposits are found, suggests a volcanic origin, potentially formed within the last 3 billion years and covered by volcanic ash during Mars' volcanic activity.
Mars Express' MARSIS radar reveals low-density, transparent deposits beneath the Medusae Fossae Formation, challenging previous assumptions about the composition of Martian surface features.
The discovery of extensive water ice at low latitudes raises questions about Mars' past climate, suggesting a different environment from its current arid state, possibly influenced by fluctuations in the planet's axial tilt.
Variations in Mars' axial tilt over its history may explain the formation and burial of equatorial ice deposits, providing insights into the planet's geological and climatic evolution.