Huge ice deposits found at Mars' South Pole

[j. d. worthington]

Immense ice deposits found at south pole of Mars - Yahoo! News

The story is from Reuters, by Will Dunham, titled "Immense ice deposits found at south pole of Mars", datelined Thurs., Mar. 15, 2007:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A spacecraft orbiting Mars has scanned huge deposits of water ice at its south pole so plentiful they would blanket the planet in 36 feet of water if they were liquid, scientists said on Thursday.

The scientists used a joint NASA-Italian Space Agency radar instrument on the European Space Agency Mars Express spacecraft to gauge the thickness and volume of ice deposits at the Martian south pole covering an area larger than Texas.

The deposits, up to 2.3 miles thick, are under a polar cap of white frozen carbon dioxide and water, and appear to be composed of at least 90 percent frozen water, with dust mixed in, according to findings published in the journal Science.

They are eager to learn about the history of water on Mars because water is fundamental to the question of whether the planet has ever harbored microbial or some other life. Liquid water is a necessity for life as we know it.

Characteristics like channels on the Martian surface strongly suggest the planet once was very wet, a contrast to its present arid, dusty condition.

Some of the new information even hints at the possible existence of a thin layer of liquid water at the base of the deposits.

But while images taken by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft made public in December suggested the presence of a small amount of liquid water on the surface, researchers are baffled about the fate of most of the water. The polar deposits contain most of the known water on Mars.

Plaut said it appears perhaps 10 percent of the water that once existed on Mars is now trapped in these polar deposits. Other water may exist below the planet's surface or perhaps some was lost into space through the atmosphere, Plaut said.

There's plenty more information in the story and other links elsewhere, but this is very interesting stuff, to say the least....

[Allegra]

7 caves spotted too - BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | 'Cave entrances' spotted on Mars

[j. d. worthington]

Ah, thank you, Allegra! Very interesting. This really is going to be a very fascinating time, isn't it....?

[The Ace]

You're telling me ? liquid water on mars, caverns, who knows ?

[Allegra]

Next we are gonna see the Mars cavemen waving to the earthlings.

[The Ace]

Some idiot on day-release has already seen that, the book comes out on Thursday.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by The Ace

Some idiot on day-release has already seen that, the book comes out on Thursday.

On a bit of a roll, are we, Ace?

[Curt Chiarelli]

This is very exciting news! Think of what this could mean for exobiology: the combined existence of water on Mars with the existence of volcanic caves or warm thermal shafts sheltered from meteorite hits and radiation. This just increases the possibility of finding extraterrestrial microbial lifeforms on the Red Planet several times over!

[Talysia]

I've been following this story on the BBC website, and this is definitely one to follow. If there are caves on Mars, and if so much liquid is locked up in ice at the southern pole, then who knows what other breakthroughs will be discovered about the Red planet.

[Urien]

Water, dust, heat. Do you realize there could be MUD, MUD on Mars.

Dang I love mud.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by andrew.v.spencer

Water, dust, heat. Do you realize there could be MUD, MUD on Mars.

And Martian Hippos?

[mosaix]

Please, please let's get there in my lifetime.

The prospects for life there are so tantalising.

[Moebius Tripper]

Originally Posted by mosaix

Please, please let's get there in my lifetime.

The prospects for life there are so tantalising.

************************************************** ******

Yeah, like those 3 four-sided pyramids that just so happened to form themselves a few miles away from a self-formed face with teeth no less!!!

Sorry, mosaix, but I couldn't resist!!!

[j. d. worthington]

And here's a story that just cropped up over here on the subject of the caves....

Possible New Mars Caves Targets in Search for Life - Yahoo! News

Title: "Possible New Mars Caves Targets in Search for Life"; it's from SPACE.com, by Ker Than, datelined Mon., Apr. 2, 2004.

[mosaix]

Originally Posted by Moebius Tripper

************************************************** ******

Yeah, like those 3 four-sided pyramids that just so happened to form themselves a few miles away from a self-formed face with teeth no less!!!

Sorry, mosaix, but I couldn't resist!!!

Funny how NASA didn't supress the photo's of that 'face' isn't it?