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There's a link in the show notes the European Space Agency's Mars
Express orbiter has potentially identified enormous ice water
deposits beneath the Martian surface located at the Red
Planet's equator. These deposits are estimated to
be about 3.7 kilometers thick, and if melted, they could cover
Mars with a water layer approximately 2 meters deep or
fill Earth's Red Sea. This revelation is reshaping our
perception of Mars, suggesting a past word.
Glaciers, lakes and river channels were prevalent.
Now Colin Wilson, who's a project scientist at ISA,
highlighted the significance of this.
He stated we've seen evidence of glaciers, extinct, glaciers
which are no longer there, but also some glaciers covered with
dust. This discovery shows that the
abundance of water on ancient Mars it's hinting at a landscape
dramatically different from the arid planet that we see today.
And Mars Express first confirmed the presence of ice on Mars in
2004. The discovery of these deposits
came in 2007, but their composition was unclear at the
time. They were thought to be
accumulations of dust, volcanic ash, or sediment.
NASA in 2015 also observed what appeared to be streams of salty
water on Mars, indicating the planet's dynamic nature.
Now, Jim Green, who's NASA's director of planetary science,
said that the evolution of Mars and the understanding it of it
is very important. He said Today we're
revolutionizing our understanding of this planet.
Our Rovers are finding that there's a lot more humidity in
the air than we ever imagined. Now, the location of these ice
deposits and Mars equator rather than the poles has surprised
scientists. Wilson remarked on the unusual
nature of this finding, a Perrigate's oddity to having a
polar ice camp in Earth's equator.
This unexpected location could have significant implications
for future human missions to Mars as well.
And despite the excitement, Wilson pointed out practical
challenges for exploration in the future.
The average temperature on Mars, ranging from 20 Celsius to -153
Celsius, make the equator ice a potentially more accessible
water surf for human missions. However, the ice buried under a
thick dust layer might not be easily reachable for immediate
exploration needs. The Mars Express probe, which
launched in June of 2003 and reached Mars in December of
2003, has been studying the Red Planet for over 2 decades.
Its recent findings at the MFF, the Fosse Formation, provided
deeper insights into the Martian surface and its history.
Now the the Medusae Fosse Formation.
That's a difficult one to say. Over 15 years ago, Mars Express
studied that identifying massive deposits up to 2.5 kilometers
deep. Initial observations were
inconclusive about the composition of these deposits.
And Thomas Waters of the Smithsonian Institution, lead
author of both the initial and recent studies, now confirms
these deposits are thicker than previously thought, extending up
to 3.7 kilometers thick. The MMF characterized by wind
sculpted features as one of Mars most extensive deposits.
The new data suggests that these features are not just
accumulations of dust, volcanic ash, but include significant
layers of ice covered by a protective layer of dust or ash.
Now, Andrea Cicchetti of the National Institute of
Astrophysics, Italy, explains that the new data from radar
from the Mars Express MARSIS instrument was crucial in
identifying the icy nature of the MFF.
The low density and radar transparency of these deposits
are consistent with ice, challenging previously
assumptions. Now, this discovery indicates
that the massive stores of ice near Mars equator must have
formed during a difficult and different climate epoch.
Existence of such extensive ice deposits changes our
understanding of Mars climate history, suggesting a past where
water was more abundant. Wilson notes that while this
discovery is exciting, it also raises many more questions.
Understanding the age of these ice deposits and Mars conditions
at that time remain a challenge. Confirming the presence of water
ice in the MFF would significantly alter our
comprehension on Mars. Climatic past the location and
extent of these IC deposits are crucial for planning future
human missions to Mars. Now, human missions in
particular will benefit from the availability of water ice near
the equator. However, the thick dust covering
these deposits poses a pretty thick barrier to immediate
exploration. One specific area, Emedias
Dorsum, is expected to contain the thickest ice rich deposits
within the MFF. Understanding and mapping these
deposits are key to future explorations and scientific
inquiries. While Mars Express maps deep
water ice, other missions like the TGO, equipped with the
friend instrument FREND, provide insights into near surface
water. These collaborative efforts are
enhancing our knowledge of Mars, its history at the potential for
future exploration. Now, ESA's Mars Express orbiter
has made a groundbreaking discovery now of the potential
ice water deposits at Mars equator.
These findings challenges our understanding of Mars climate
history and opens new possibilities for human
exploration. And despite the challenges in
accessing these ice deposits, the information gathered is
invaluable in piercing together the complex story of Mars in
this evolution. Hey, thank you so much for
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