Mars has quite a bit more water than previously thought, according to a new report in the journal Science. NASA said its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted ice at five new Martian craters, likely kicked up by meteor impacts [Reuters]. It’s no surprise that the NASA orbiter found water, it’s the size of the find—twice as much as in Greenland’s ice sheet—that surprised scientists. The ice is just under the surface, so it was only visible after the recent meteor impacts.
The ice was found half way between the north pole and the equator, which is the farthest south ice has been found on Mars. Scientists believe that water once flowed across the planet, but most thought the surface had been largely dry and parched, with planet-wide dust storms, for billions of years. They had long known that water ice and carbon dioxide ice accumulated at the poles in winter, but until now, they had no idea how far from the poles the underground ice sheet extended [Los Angeles Times].
This image shows two craters with blueish ice, which—when exposed to the Martian atmosphere—sublimates over the course of 15 weeks.
Related Content:
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Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems
September 25th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
This proves that earth is 6,000 years old! :P
September 25th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Wow i’m so happy we found water on mars…..
Now what?
September 25th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Ahhh. Terraforming Mars should now be the primary goal of NASA in the next 100-200 years. That much water and CO2 ice in the poles should be enough to blanket the Martian surface and provide a more hospitable atmospheric pressure for humans – Total Recall here we come! Wohoo! ;)
September 25th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
The Universe is just awesome. Thanks science!
September 26th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
2.Raven Says:
September 25th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Wow i’m so happy we found water on mars…..Now what?
===
MARGARITAS!!!!
September 27th, 2009 at 11:36 am
How ironic that as humanity continues to cause deterioration
of the Earths biosphere with pollution, overpopulation, global warming
etc etc. We are also on the cusp of being able to turn Mars into a
habitable world for humans. The money spent on the Iraq war might have
been a sufficent amount to settle a permanent colony of several hundred
humans on MARS. Or at the very least a substantial down payment. Any planet
that has partisan small minded leaders as we have had and have, Might want
to hedge its bets and get moving before we lose the opportunity.The survival of
our human species could be at stake. My comments are not meant as hyperbole
but rather an honest observation of the human condition and the ill serving Government
the planet has, Including I sadly admit my country the United States. Which in my view
may be governed mostly by incompetents and crooks like an old Elmore Leonard western
September 27th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Reply to Raven: I’m interested in your theory of a young earth. How do you contend that this recent discovery of massive ice sheets on mars prooves that the earth is 6,000 years young?
Also, to Buzz Aldrin, is the original your namesake or are you the namesake? I.E. Is this Mr. Aldrin from the apollo days???
September 27th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
LeeG,
Obviously that isn’t Buzz Aldrin. And maybe if you read a damn science book you would now why this proves the Earth is roughly 6,000 year old– as if there wasn’t enough proof already.
September 28th, 2009 at 11:52 am
I’m curious about the connection as well. How does this prove Earth is 6000yrs old?
also, why is it so difficult for the human mind to fathom especially long intervals of time?
September 29th, 2009 at 5:10 am
Yea I don’t see the connection either except for a very obscure and abstract idea that I have no firm grasp on, like say because there is ice on mars that means it mustn’t be any older than 6000 years because all of the ice would have disappeared by now if it were any older? That’s just my guess at what they’re getting at, or they are being facetious and are saying it to be snide. either way wgaf
September 29th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Seth was joking LeeG….
September 29th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Yes, Strohm, your comments are hyperbole.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Hello, all. Earth IS 6,000 years old. I’m sorry, but that’s what all the (non existent) evidence says! Guys’, I was joking.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
*High-fives Strohm Whipsell* Agreed. Honestly, when the layman is finally capable of sticking her/his head out of their butt long enough to question humanity and their existence we’ll be at the end of the ruddy interglacial period, for screwsake. I mean we’re honestly considering teaching Adam and Eve over Darwin at schools these days. Really? I mean really? Since when do educators support stories over hard evidence? If we cant even educate the commonpeople, how do we suppose to get ahead? If all of humanity was in the hands of a couple of people who knew wtf they were doing, we might survive but unfortunately that could only happen with something called people power pushing for this change and this is where I ask you to refer to the layman comment ahead. Humans are so stupid most of the time I wonder if we should use such a broad term as intelligent to describe our race. I mean we’re honestly still hung up on things like bias, poverty, greed, etc. So should we even be attempting to do something like checking out different worlds to ensure survival? I think evolution needs to work a little harder if it’s really got a thing for humanity’s survival.
Just sayin’.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
stewiegriffith
Let me guess – you should be one of the “couple of people” whose hands humanity should be in.
Don’t get me wrong, I find creationism and the 6,000YO Earth to be appalling.
And sure lots of things in our society are a mess.
But buddy, dictatorship ain’t the answer. They make things worse, not better.
Or as Churchill once said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the alternatives.”
October 4th, 2009 at 5:32 am
The bad news is the waters of Mars will turn you into a zombie.
At least that’s what I saw on the previews for the next Doctor Who episode.