Scientists have found evidence of a huge water ice cream reservoir under the Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF) near the equator of Mars. If it is melted, it can cover the entire planet in about nine feet of water – making it the largest known water source in this region.
New data from the Mars Express Orbiter’s Marsis Radar show that the ice can be deep up to 2.2 miles (3.7 km) – much thicker than before.
“We investigated the MFF again with the help of newer data from the Marsis Radar of Mars Express and found the deposits even thicker than we thought,” said Thomas Waters, Lead study author. “Exciting, the radar signals correspond to what we would expect from laminated ice, similar to the well -known polar ice sheets of Mars.”
It extends with hundreds of kilometers and is located between the northern lowlands of Mars and southern highlands. Some thought it was made of dust or volcanic axis, but new findings suggest that it is usually ice.
Radar scans show that the formation is low from density and transparent for signals – nintering with ice. Now, researchers believe that a huge ice layer is under the dust.
“This latter analysis challenges our understanding of the Fossae formation of Medusae,” said Colin Wilson, an ESA scientist. “If confirmed, these ice deposits would change our view of Mars’s climate history and be an important target for exploration.”
The Poles of Mars have ice cream, but their extreme conditions make landing difficult. However, equatorial ice can be a game changer for human missions some water for drinking, oxygen and fuel.
“The MFF deposits are buried under thick matter, so they are out of reach for the time being,” Wilson added. “But every discovery helps us understand the water history of Mars.”
The finding also suggests that Mars once had a completely different climate. Protected by dust, this ice can keep instructions for the wetter past of the planet.
