A current frozen sea near Mars equator?

[exoscientist]

Murray J. B. * Muller J.-P. Neukum G. Werner S. C. Hauber E. Markiewicz W. J. Head J. W. III Foing B. H. Page D. Mitchell K. L. Portyankina G. HRSC Investigator Team. <br />Evidence from HRSC Mars Express for a Frozen Sea Close to Mars’ Equator [#1741]. <br />"We present evidence for a presently-existing frozen sea, with surface pack-ice, at 5°N, 150°E, age ca. 5 million years. It measures ca. 800 × 900 km and averages ca. 45 m deep. It has probably been protected from complete sublimation by ash and a sublimation lag of exposed sediment." ftp://www.lpi.usra.edu/pub/outgoing/lpsc2005/full97.pdf <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[robnissen]

That is TOOOO cool!! I like the very last part of the article that talks about the possibility of past life there. Definitely worth further examination, if it pans out, that might be a potential spot for the next rovers. Thx for the GREAT link!

 

[vogon13]

Suddenly, there is real estate on Mars worth money.<br /><br />Drinking water, reaction mass, coolant, everything just gets so much easier if there is water where you're going.<br /><br />Suppose last bit of water (all 800km x 900km) left on Mars enriched with deuterium? <br /><br />Wonder if it's too late to retarget the polar lander? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[alpha_taur1]

Thanks for posting this link, exoscientist. It will be interesting to have confirmation of this when Marsis is deployed later in May this year. <br /><br />It must be a prime candidate for future missions.

 

[centsworth_II]

<i>"Wonder if it's too late to retarget the polar lander?"</i><br /><br />The researchers suggest a body of frozen water protected by a thick crust of volcanic ash. The polar lander can only dig a couple feet. The best bet is still the polar region where water ice may be near the surface. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[fangsheath]

This region is indeed quite intriguing, and not that far from the very interesting Memnonia region. Here is another image for your edification.

 

[ratliff]

This would offer an explanation for the root-like structures seen in some cliff faces which look like evaporite deposites similar to caliche. Caliche is formed when water leaks out of a<br />permeable, water bearing strata and then evaporates leaving behind mineral deposits.<br />JR

 

[exoscientist]

Confirmation might come from the MARSIS ground penetrating radar on Mars Express or the SHARAD gpr to be carried on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.<br /><br /><br /> Bob Clark <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[yurkin]

Great papers Exoscientist<br /><br />“Frozen Ocean” is a little presumptuous; it suggests that at one point the ocean was liquid. I don’t see any evidence from the paper to support that. It was only liquid when it came out of the ground and froze shortly after. <br />“Big Glacier” is more accurate and still very interesting.<br />

 

[thalion]

I'd really like to see the results from MARSIS and MRO before I get too excited about this.

 

[yurkin]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4285119.stm<br />BBC needs no such confirmation; I guess they have another source to corroborate the story. I little green man perhaps? At least this time it’s a genuine paper and not a rumor that is being presented as fact.<br />

 

[alpha_taur1]

"I'd really like to see the results from MARSIS and MRO before I get too excited about this. "<br /><br />That BBC article states that it may not be possible to get confirmation using Marsis as it's too close to the surface. This despite the fact that the depth of the ice has been quoted at up to 45 metres elsewhere.<br /><br />However this observation has been mulled over since January 2004 outside the public domain, so I guess we'll have to wait for the series of papers to be published in Nature before making any rash judgement.<br /><br />I have a feeling that this may yet be one of the most important findings to come out of Mars exploration ever, and points to a subterranean ice reservoir.