Secrets are hidden under the polar Martian caps

Secrets are hidden under the polar Martian caps

The NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) station used a radar to detect previously unknown structures hidden under the polar ice of the Red Planet.

Like Earth, Mars has northern and southern polar ice. Unlike us, the Martian versions contain not only water ice, but also a thick layer of dioxide on it that serves as a blanket. Frozen CO2 (dry ice) is known to increase and decrease depending on the season. We have a pretty good idea of ​​the surface features of the ice caps, and we know how they interact with the carbon dioxide of the atmosphere that lies under the most ancient layers of ice.

For a long time, it remained a secret until an MRO appeared in orbit in 2006.

On board, there is a veteran on Mars exploration - the satellite SHARAD (Shallow Radar - surface radar), which has caught radio waves for more than ten years. Separate observations made over 2000 orbits revealed some interesting ice features. Planetary scientists built a 3D view of the ice covering the north and south poles, hoping to better understand the internal structure, the changes of which we cannot see. With this information, they hope to recreate a climate change picture spanning millions of years.

“We applied the developed techniques in a new way of the Martian data set, producing 3D projects, each of which is 600 times more than any terrestrial or planetary data set of this kind,” says senior researcher Nathaniel Putzig of the US Planetological Institute.

Secrets are hidden under the polar Martian caps

Cut in Planum Boreum on the north polar cap. Blue and red patches show areas with high and low radar power returns corresponding to ice thickness. White is the thickest.

The previously unknown features hidden in these data, including possible dents and extensive layers of ice, probably highlight the era of climate change in the process of the inclination of the Red Planet. It is also expected that at the South Pole there is a larger amount of frozen carbon dioxide than expected.

“It's nice that SHARAD allows you to see the volume of structures so clearly,” Putzig added. - “I am delighted with what we learn from the newly identified features. For example, probable craters. ”

“While 3D seismic and georadar have become common tools in ground geophysical surveys, our 3D processing is first in planetary geophysical exploration,” said Frederick J. Foss. “These models significantly increase the detection and accuracy of interpretation of features in Martian polar ice caps.”

These 3D maps of the Martian interiors will contribute to future discoveries hiding under the ice. And this, in turn, will broaden our understanding of how the atmosphere of Mars has evolved from a seemingly habitable state into the harsh and dry climate observed today.

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