New way to look for Martian ice

New way to look for Martian ice

Most of the Meridian Plateau, captured by Opportunity. This is a flat area with sand dunes.

New data shows that there are deposits on the planet Mars that may be rich in ice deposits. Or they do not contain ice at all. The analysis was conducted on the territory of the Plateau of Meridian using a radar.

A new overview of this site helps to find areas with hidden water ice or without it. This is an important resource for future colonists, so scientists need to know about the locations of such stocks.

In a new study, scientists use compaction models for Martian materials. The basis of the electrical properties of the fields of the Plateau of Meridian, extracted by the tool MARSIS.

It creates low-frequency radio pulses that penetrate certain geological materials and are reflected backward, when faced with a change in bulk density or composition. Finds of subsurface reflectors can be used to identify the dielectric constant by calculating the time delays between radar pulses and subsurface boundaries.

New way to look for Martian ice

The Meridian Plateau stretches along the equatorial line on the crater territory. The area covers 77,000 km2

The data show that deposits in the Plateau of Meridian are endowed with relatively low dielectric constant. This hints at the presence of clear water ice. But new compaction models show that it can also fit in porous sand. Moreover, these deposits are practically not reduced.

Scientists now know that when interpreting the found points with a low dielectric constant, it is necessary to exercise caution, otherwise rovers and colonists could be put on the wrong track.

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