[Sciotecha] Big new reservoir of water ice suspected under Mars
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Frimlin
Mar 16, 2006, 3:17:22 PM3/16/06
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[http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn8857-big-new-reservoir-of-water-ice-suspected-under-mars.html]
A large and previously unknown reservoir of water ice may have been found below the surface of Mars, new radar observations suggest.
Gaping canyons and river-like channels attest to the fact that large amounts of water once flowed on Mars. But today most of that water has disappeared, and finding out where it went is one of the main aims of research on the Red Planet.
Scientists are using the radar antenna onboard Europe's Mars Express spacecraft as a divining rod to scout for any water that may have seeped underground.
MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) works by sending out pulses of radio waves from its main, 40-metre-long antenna and analysing the time delay and strength of the signals that bounce back. Radio waves that penetrate the surface rebound when they encounter a subsurface boundary between materials with different electrical properties – such as rock and water.
The antenna was deployed in June 2005 and quickly detected what appeared to be water ice stretching 1.8 kilometres below the surface of the northern polar ice cap. Now, it has found what looks like water ice extending as deep as 3.5 kilometres below the southern polar cap.
[Comment: Fascinating -- I've been waiting to hear news on the result of this mission, after the uncertainty about whether the antenna could deploy successfully or not! Just the news we need for a Human future on this icy red world. ~ Ed.]
Only part of the text from this article have been posted -- read more @ NewScientistSpace.com.
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Posted by Frimlin to Sciotecha at 3/16/2006 08:13:00 PM
A large and previously unknown reservoir of water ice may have been found below the surface of Mars, new radar observations suggest.
Gaping canyons and river-like channels attest to the fact that large amounts of water once flowed on Mars. But today most of that water has disappeared, and finding out where it went is one of the main aims of research on the Red Planet.
Scientists are using the radar antenna onboard Europe's Mars Express spacecraft as a divining rod to scout for any water that may have seeped underground.
MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) works by sending out pulses of radio waves from its main, 40-metre-long antenna and analysing the time delay and strength of the signals that bounce back. Radio waves that penetrate the surface rebound when they encounter a subsurface boundary between materials with different electrical properties – such as rock and water.
The antenna was deployed in June 2005 and quickly detected what appeared to be water ice stretching 1.8 kilometres below the surface of the northern polar ice cap. Now, it has found what looks like water ice extending as deep as 3.5 kilometres below the southern polar cap.
[Comment: Fascinating -- I've been waiting to hear news on the result of this mission, after the uncertainty about whether the antenna could deploy successfully or not! Just the news we need for a Human future on this icy red world. ~ Ed.]
Only part of the text from this article have been posted -- read more @ NewScientistSpace.com.
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Posted by Frimlin to Sciotecha at 3/16/2006 08:13:00 PM
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