spacetoday.net: Extensive water ice found at Martian south pole

Extensive water ice found at Martian south pole

Posted: Mon, Mar 19, 2007, 1:48 PM ET (1748 GMT)
Mars south pole ice from MARSIS data (NASA/JPL)

Large amounts of water ice have been found at the south pole of Mars, scientists announced late last week. Analysis of radar data from the MARSIS instrument on ESA's Mars Express spacecraft has found that not only is water ice widespread across the south polar cap, it extends to a depth of up to 3.7 kilometers. enough water is present there that, if melted, it would cover the Martian surface to a depth of 11 meters. The weight of the ice has not depressed the rocky crust beneath it, unlike on the Earth, evidence that the Martian crust and upper mantle are colder than stiffer than their terrestrial counterparts.