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Ciphertext.- For the first time, researchers have discovered water frost atop giant volcanoes in the equatorial region of Mars, according to a recent study published in the journal Natural Geoscience. Mount OlympusThe largest volcano in the solar system, is one of four where these icy deposits were found, defying expectations for a planet often described as a cold, dry desert.
Observations by cameras on rovers orbiting Mars indicate that frost forms in Martian craters in the early morning hours. Mount Olympus, Mount Arsia, Mount Askreaus and Mount Seraunius Torus. Valentina “There are sediments forming on the floor of the crater, but we’re also seeing a bit of frost around the edge,” he explained. “We also confirmed it’s ice and possibly water.” The phenomenon was described as significant because it shows that “Mars is a very dynamic planet,” according to CNN.
The discovery was led by postdoctoral researcher Brown University, Adam Valantiswhile he was pursuing his Ph.D. University of Bern exist Swiss.
He explained that the water cycle on Mars is not as active as it was billions of years ago, making it difficult to measure how water moves across the surface. J. Taylor Perron, professor Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at MIT. “It would be surprising if the frost on these volcanoes turned out to be water rather than carbon dioxide,” he said.
Valantinas mentioned that in the past, when Mars had a denser atmosphere and a different climate, glaciers may have existed on these volcanoes. Now, the team aims to expand the search for frost to all named volcanoes on the Red Planet.
The crater has a diameter of up to 121 km, creating a special microclimate that is favorable for the formation of this frost. Ice can ultra thinabout one hundredth of a millimeter, but its huge extension translates into a huge amount of water, about 150,000 tons, the equivalent of 60 Olympic swimming pools.
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