There could be vast, hidden amounts of water ice on Mars. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the ice masses in molten form would cover the Red Planet with a layer of water 1.5 to 2.7 meters deep.
The Medusae Fossae formation likely contains layers of dust and ice covered by a layer of dust and ash hundreds of meters thick, ESA said. The amount of water in ice form could therefore fill the entire Red Sea.
The Medusae Fossae (MFF) consists of several wind-shaped trains and is located at the transition between the high and low plains of Mars near the Martian equator. The formation is possibly the largest source of dust on the Red Planet and also one of the most extensive deposits.
Ice, volcanic ash or dust?
During an initial study of the formation in 2007, researchers discovered massive deposits up to 2.5 kilometers deep. Although some data pointed to ice, scientists could not rule out that it was instead deposits of dust, volcanic ash or sediment.
When the area was re-examined using more recent radar images from the ESA probe ‘Mars Express’ (photo below), the researchers found that the deposits are sometimes as thick as 3.7 kilometers. On the other hand, the shots were less compact than you would expect with dust.
“If the MFF were simply a giant pile of dust, given its depth, we would expect it to compress under its own weight,” says Andrea Cicchetti of the National Institute of Astrophysics in Italy. Even when modeling with ice-free materials, the formation properties were not revealed. “We need ice,” Cicchetti said.
Numerous references to water
Although Mars appears to be a fairly dry planet today, its surface shows plenty of evidence that water was once abundant, according to ESA. Massive ice deposits near the equator, as suspected in the formation, should have formed in an earlier climatic epoch. It was said that this would not be possible in the planet’s current climate.
Ice important for Mars missions
The hidden ice could be important for future Mars missions: according to ESA, they need water and must land close to the equator, far from the icy polar caps or glaciers on the Red Planet.
“Unfortunately, the MFF deposits are covered by hundreds of meters of dust, making them inaccessible for at least the next few decades,” says ESA’s Colin Wilson. But every piece of ice helps build a better picture of where water once flowed on Mars and where it can be found today.
Source: Krone
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