Published January 19, 2024 at 12:58 pm
Updated January 19, 2024 at 1:00 pm.
Recent studies have just confirmed that gigantic pockets of frozen water were located beneath the surface of Mars.
Hypothesis confirmed
15 years ago the Mars Express probe discovered deposits at the equator of the Red Planet, the composition of which was then uncertain. Studies from 2022 have just confirmed the composition of these deposits: it is in fact frozen water. At the time, scientists reported deposits deep beneath the surface, which could have been water, sediment or volcanic ash. With the new data it has been confirmed that this is in fact the largest amount of water ever found in this part of the planet.
New data
This region on the equator of Mars has interested scientists for many years. Thanks to the Marsis Radard, new data has allowed scientists to learn more. Ultimately, the depth of the deposits was more intense than previously thought. Recent results also show a composition of ice topped by a layer of dust.
Much water
Pockets of frozen water are important. If all this ice melted, the entire surface of Mars would be covered, and the thickness of the water could reach more than 2 meters in height. The Red Planet has always seemed like an arid environment. However, for several years scientists have discovered significant traces of water, particularly in polar ice caps and glaciers. This raises the question: what was Mars’ climate really like? Because the water ice deposits are buried under hundreds of meters of sediment and dust, they are inaccessible for now, and scientists will have to make do with radar data until further progress is made.
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2024-01-19 13:10:59
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