Ice lake found on the Red Planet

BBC News ^ | Friday, 29 July 2005, 12:31 GMT 13:31 UK

[ckilmer]

Ice lake found on the Red Planet

The presence of water makes life a more likely possibility

A giant patch of frozen water has been pictured nestled within an unnamed impact crater on Mars.

The photographs were taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera on board Mars Express, the European Space Agency probe which is exploring the planet.

The ice disc is located on Vastitas Borealis, a broad plain that covers much of Mars' far northern latitudes.

The existence of the water-ice patch on Mars raises the prospect that past or present life will one day be detected.

It also boosts the chances that manned missions could eventually be sent to the Red Planet - because they would probably need accessible water to survive.

Highly visible

The highly visible ice lake is sitting in a crater which is 35 km (23 miles) wide, with a maximum depth of about two km (1.2 miles).

Scientists believe the water-ice is present all year round because the temperature and pressure are not sufficient to allow it to change states.

Researchers studying the images are sure it is not frozen carbon dioxide (CO2), because CO2 ice had already disappeared from the north polar cap at the time the image was taken.

The team has also been able to detect faint traces of water-ice along the rim of the crater and on the crater walls.

Mars is covered with deep gorges, apparently carved out by rivers and glaciers, although most of the water vanished millions of years ago.

Earlier this year, the European Space Agency detected what they called a huge "frozen sea", but it is located below a crust of surface deposits.

Large reserves of water-ice are also known to be held at the poles on Mars, and probably at great depth at many locations around the planet.

[mainepatsfan]

So it will be possible to play hockey on Mars.

[cmsgop]

Thats Hillary's Soul.........

[flashbunny]

It will, but like on earth, nobody will be there to watch it.

[mainepatsfan]

If the NHL put a franchise there it would still draw more fans than in Atlanta.

[NicknamedBob]

"The ice disc is located on Vastitas Borealis, a broad plain that covers much of Mars' far northern latitudes."

Figures. The Russians had a plan to colonize all along. This area is the equivalent of Siberia.

[GSlob]

"Thats Hillary's Soul..."
Nope; she does not have one, being the third horn of the apocalyptic beast. The constituent parts of the Beast do not have souls.
But on the more pertinent note, that water, if melted, probably would turn out carbonated. In all probability, one could price it much higher than Perrier, even if it turns out to be undrinkable. I see a great product potential there.

[Gondring]

Don't-stand-in-the-water-when-the-lightning-strikes ping!

[inquest]

Researchers studying the images are sure it is not frozen carbon dioxide (CO2), because CO2 ice had already disappeared from the north polar cap at the time the image was taken.

So they're saying that those are the only two possibilities? Water and carbon dioxide are the only two known substances that can make a deposit that looks like that?

Mars is covered with deep gorges, apparently carved out by rivers and glaciers, although most of the water vanished millions of years ago.

I thought it was recently determined that those gorges were more likely carved out by lava flows. Anyone know anything about that?

[theymakemesick]

"Researchers studying the images are sure it is not frozen carbon dioxide (CO2), because CO2 ice had already disappeared from the north polar cap at the time the image was taken."

If there is enough CO2 to have frozen into a visible mass on the pole in the past, why didn't that CO2 cause Martian warming before it froze, thus preventing its' freezing? What caused it to sublimate if evil Republicans and SUVs aren't there?

[Tiger Smack]

wonder why all the water vanished to begin with

[cmsgop]

Thats alot to think about, LOL!

[RightWhale]

The thing is that water was already known to be on Mars. If this gets anything besides the Moon, Mars and Beyond program underway to encourage the citizens to want to put a settlement on Mars it would be a surprise.

[IronChefSakai]

I want martian bottled water

[Kuehn12]

I am impressed that you managed to drag Hillary in a basic scientific discovery, bravo, bravo.

[RandallFlagg]

[AntiGuv]

So they're saying that those are the only two possibilities? Water and carbon dioxide are the only two known substances that can make a deposit that looks like that?

Ummm.. Yeah. That's exactly right.

[taxesareforever]

I don't think its water. I think it is a big mirror and we are seeing the sky.

[doug from upland]

If he lives long enough for us to travel there, he could be the first person in the solar system to kill women on two planets.

[gitmo]

Who will get there first?