Frozen sea may exist under Martian surface
Posted: Tue, Feb 22, 2005, 8:00 AM ET (1300 GMT)
A "frozen sea" of water ice may exist just below the Martian surface near the planet's equator, according to news reports. New Scientist reported Monday that scientists using images from ESA's Mars Express spacecraft have spotted what they describe as "raft-like" ground structures on the Martian surface about five degrees north of the equator. Scientists speculate these structures are blocks of water ice that were covered by layers of volcanic ash that prevented the ice from sublimating away. That ash layer, scientists speculate, could be as little as a few centimeters thick, making it easy for a future spacecraft mission to access the ice. Similar structures have been seen on the Martian surface before but have been attributed to lava, but scientists said that in this case the structures here are not consistent with lava. The research is scheduled to be presented at the Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference next month, as well as to be published in the journal Nature. The MARSIS radar on Mars Express, to be deployed this spring, could confirm the discovery provided the water ice is not buried too far below the surface.
A "frozen sea" of water ice may exist just below the Martian surface near the planet's equator, according to news reports. New Scientist reported Monday that scientists using images from ESA's Mars Express spacecraft have spotted what they describe as "raft-like" ground structures on the Martian surface about five degrees north of the equator. Scientists speculate these structures are blocks of water ice that were covered by layers of volcanic ash that prevented the ice from sublimating away. That ash layer, scientists speculate, could be as little as a few centimeters thick, making it easy for a future spacecraft mission to access the ice. Similar structures have been seen on the Martian surface before but have been attributed to lava, but scientists said that in this case the structures here are not consistent with lava. The research is scheduled to be presented at the Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference next month, as well as to be published in the journal Nature. The MARSIS radar on Mars Express, to be deployed this spring, could confirm the discovery provided the water ice is not buried too far below the surface.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Starship explodes during preparations for static-fire test
Posted: Sun, Jun 22 6:52 AM ET (1052 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, June 30
Starlink subscriptions drops 11% in Kenya as Safaricom 5G routers win over users
Techcabal — 5:42 am ET (0942 GMT) Citizens file appeal against 40 Starlink satellite antennae planned in Swiss village
Swissinfo — 5:41 am ET (0941 GMT) Can Starlink stay ahead in satellite internet?
NPR — 5:41 am ET (0941 GMT) Blue Origin successfully launches latest human flight from West Texas
KTSM-TV El Paso — 5:39 am ET (0939 GMT) Blue Origin N-S 33 lifts off
KVIA-TV El Paso, TX — 5:39 am ET (0939 GMT) |
