Exposed subsurface ice sheets in the Martian mid-latitudes
- 12 January 2018
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 359 (6372), 199-201
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao1619
Abstract
Thick deposits cover broad regions of the Martian mid-latitudes with a smooth mantle; erosion in these regions creates scarps that expose the internal structure of the mantle. We investigated eight of these locations and found that they expose deposits of water ice that can be >100 meters thick, extending downward from depths as shallow as 1 to 2 meters below the surface. The scarps are actively retreating because of sublimation of the exposed water ice. The ice deposits likely originated as snowfall during Mars' high-obliquity periods and have now compacted into massive, fractured, and layered ice. We expect the vertical structure of Martian ice-rich deposits to preserve a record of ice deposition and past climate.Funding Information
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter project)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NNH13AV85I)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NNX16AP09H)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter project)
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