Mars Express radar data has brought new information to light about the polar ice caps on the planet, challenging previous assumptions about their composition. The south polar region is composed of layers of ice and dust down to a depth of about one mile, transitioning to the signature of water. Scientists believe that there may be a lake 12 miles long located about one mile beneath the southern Martian ice cap, similar to Lake Vostok in Antarctica.
However, Cornell scientists are cautious about this discovery, noting that the temperature and pressure conditions on Mars are significantly different from Earth. Despite evidence of water flowing on ancient Mars, the presence of liquid water near the surface remains uncertain. Previous observations of supposed liquid water on the planet were later debunked as natural processes involving sand movement.
Robotic explorers have played a crucial role in uncovering evidence of ancient water on Mars, including at a former river delta currently being investigated by Nasa’s Perseverance rover. Although the research was published in collaboration with Nasa in the journal Science Advances, Cambridge scientists, unfamiliar with the new findings, suggest that unusual surface patterns discovered would not be easily explained by radar interference.
