Mars subsurface ice is patchy
Posted: Thu, May 3, 2007, 7:32 AM ET (1132 GMT)
The depths below the surface where water ice exists near the polar regions of Mars depends strongly on the properties of the surface, scientists reported this week. In a paper published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, scientists analyzed infrared images of the polar regions of the planet taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft to measure the changes in temperature of the surface, a measure of how close to the surface the thermally-stable layer of water ice lies. Researchers found that the ice was much closer to the surface in dusty regions, while much farther below the surface in rocky areas the "pump" heat into subsurface layers. The results means that NASA's Phoenix spacecraft, scheduled for launch later this year to land in the planet's far-northern regions, might find differences in the depth of the water ice layer in spots as little as a meter apart.
The depths below the surface where water ice exists near the polar regions of Mars depends strongly on the properties of the surface, scientists reported this week. In a paper published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, scientists analyzed infrared images of the polar regions of the planet taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft to measure the changes in temperature of the surface, a measure of how close to the surface the thermally-stable layer of water ice lies. Researchers found that the ice was much closer to the surface in dusty regions, while much farther below the surface in rocky areas the "pump" heat into subsurface layers. The results means that NASA's Phoenix spacecraft, scheduled for launch later this year to land in the planet's far-northern regions, might find differences in the depth of the water ice layer in spots as little as a meter apart.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Space Force and NGA sign agreement on space-based intelligence
Posted: Sat, May 24 7:35 AM ET (1135 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Friday, June 6
Europe will have to be more Tenacious to land its first rover on the moon
TechCrunch — 6:27 am ET (1027 GMT) Connection with Luxembourg rover lost in failed Moon landing
Luxembourg Times — 6:27 am ET (1027 GMT) Resilience spacecraft likely crashed into the moon, Ispace confirms
CNN — 6:26 am ET (1026 GMT) Japan firm's second attempt to put lander on moon fails
NHK — 6:25 am ET (1025 GMT) Japan ispace fails in bid for 1st Moon landing by Asian private firm
Kyodo International — 6:24 am ET (1024 GMT) |
