Find layers of ice beneath the surface of Mars reveal the past planet

science and technology

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Arizona said newly discovered layers of ice were found buried a mile down the northern mole, the remains of ancient polar ice sheets and could be one of the largest reservoirs on the planet.

Snow Mars

According to the site "phys" team reached the discovery using the measurements collected NASA radar over Mars, through radar waves can penetrate up to a mile and a half under the surface of Mars.

The results, published recently in the Geophysics Research Book, are important because ice sheets are a record of past climate on Mars. The study of the geometry and composition of these layers can tell scientists whether weather conditions are favorable to life in the past, the researchers said.

The team found layers of sand and ice up to 90% water in some places, which, if melted, would be equivalent to a global layer of water around Mars at least 1.5 meters [5 feet] deep.

"We did not expect to find so much ice here," said Stefan Neeruzzi, a senior researcher at the University of Texas Institute of Geophysical Studies who completed his doctorate.

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