Arizona researchers find evidence of ice cliffs on Mars
Jan 16, 2018, 10:27 AM
This May 12, 2016 image provided by NASA shows the planet Mars. On Sunday, May 22, 2016, the sun and Mars will be on exact opposite sides of Earth. (NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team - STScI/AURA, J. Bell - ASU, M. Wolff - Space Science Institute via AP)
(NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team - STScI/AURA, J. Bell - ASU, M. Wolff - Space Science Institute via AP)
PHOENIX — New evidence of ice underneath the surface of Mars has been found, according to a new study authored in part by some Arizona researchers.
Colin Dundas, the lead researcher and geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, has been studying images of Mars to learn more about the planet’s surface for nearly a decade.
According to an article on the ScienceMag.org, while studying images of the planet a few years ago, Dundas noticed a slight sliver of blue protruding from the surface. Dundas said what he saw that day was a sheet of ice and he has since found seven more locations on Mars’ surface.
(NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/USGS)
“The kind of ice is more widespread than previously thought,” Dundas told Space.com.
Dundas believes that the sheets of ice found on the surface contain different layers, and could possibly be remnants of giant glaciers that used to inhabit the planet.
In some places the sheets are under just a few feet of Martian dirt, which the article said could be accessible in future missions.
Dundas’ findings are not the first for the planet, as researchers have known about ice on Mars for years.
The new findings could allow researchers to have a more detailed look at the ice, and a better overall understanding of the planet’s history.
“The take-home message is, these are nice exposures that teach us about the 3D structure of the ice, including that the ice sheets begin shallowly, and also that there are fine layers,” Dundas said.
