As much water as in the Red Sea: Researchers suspect huge masses of ice on Mars

Enlarge image

Eumenides Dorsum region in the Medusae Fossae Formation: Thickest ice-bearing formation

Photo: - / ESA / dpa

According to new data, there could be hidden ice masses on Mars.

In the Medusae Fossae formation there are probably layers of dust and ice covered by a hundred-meter-thick layer, which in turn consists of ash and dry dust, the European space agency Esa said on Thursday.

If melted, the ice mass could fill the entire Red Sea - or cover Mars with a 1.5 to 2.7 meter deep layer of water.

The Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF) consists of several wind-sculpted trains and lies at the transition between the high and low plains of Mars near the Martian equator.

The formation may be the largest single source of dust on the Red Planet and also one of its most extensive deposits.

During an initial investigation of the formation in 2007, researchers discovered accumulations of material up to 2.5 kilometers deep.

While some data suggested ice, scientists could not rule out the possibility that it was dust, volcanic ash or sediment instead.

Water once abundant?

When the area was re-examined using newer radar images from the ESA Mars Express probe, the scientists discovered that the deposits were in some cases even 3.7 kilometers thick.

On the other hand, the recordings were less dense than one would expect with dust.

"Given the depth, if the MFF were simply a giant pile of dust, we would expect it to compact under its own weight," said Andrea Cicchetti of the National Institute of Astrophysics in Italy.

Even when modeling with ice-free materials, the properties of the formation were not revealed.

“We need ice,” Cicchetti said.

While Mars appears to be a rather dry planet today, its surface shows plenty of evidence that water was once abundant, according to ESA.

Massive ice deposits near the equator, such as those suspected in the formation, would have to have arisen in an earlier climatic epoch.

It was said that this would not be possible in the planet's current climate.

The hidden ice could be important for future Mars missions.

However: "Unfortunately, the MFF deposits are covered by hundreds of meters of dust, so they will not be accessible for at least the next few decades," said Colin Wilson from Esa.

But every bit of ice helps to get a better picture of where water once flowed on Mars and where it can be found today.

jme/dpa