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Mars Express uncovers Buried craters and underground ice on Mars

MARSIS radar on board ESA’s Mars Express has provided direct information about the deep subsurface of Mars. Data include buried impact craters, probing of layered deposits at the north pole and hints of the presence of deep underground water-ice. MARSIS is the acronym for the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding.

First results reveal an almost circular structure, about 250 km in diameter, shallowly buried under the surface of the northern lowlands of the Chryse Planitia region in the mid-latitudes on Mars. The scientists have interpreted it as a buried basin of impact origin, possibly containing a thick layer of water-ice-rich material.

MARSIS also probed the layered deposits that surround the north pole of Mars, in an area between 10º and 40º East longitude. The interior layers and the base of these deposits are poorly exposed. Prior interpretations could only be based on imaging, topographic measurements and other surface techniques.

Two strong and distinct echoes coming from the area correspond to a surface reflection and subsurface interface between two different materials. By analysis of the two echoes, the scientists were able to draw the likely scenario of a nearly pure, cold water-ice layer thicker than 1 km, overlying a deeper layer of basaltic regolith. This conclusion appears to rule out the hypothesis of a melt zone at the base of the northern layered deposits.

posted by: kyawoo at 11:21 | link | comments (1) |
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