Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Originally published in Science Express on 5 December 2002
Science 14 February 2003:
Vol. 299. no. 5609, pp. 1048 - 1051
DOI: 10.1126/science.1080497
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Exposed Water Ice Discovered near the South Pole of Mars

Timothy N. Titus,1* Hugh H. Kieffer,1 Phillip R. Christensen2

The Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) has discovered water ice exposed near the edge of Mars' southern perennial polar cap. The surface H2O ice was first observed by THEMIS as a region that was cooler than expected for dry soil at that latitude during the summer season. Diurnal and seasonal temperature trends derived from Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer observations indicate that there is H2O ice at the surface. Viking observations, and the few other relevant THEMIS observations, indicate that surface H2O ice may be widespread around and under the perennial CO2 cap.

1 Branch of Astrogeology, U.S. Geological Survey, 2255 North Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA.
2 Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ttitus{at}usgs.gov

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Density of Mars' South Polar Layered Deposits.
M. T. Zuber, R. J. Phillips, J. C. Andrews-Hanna, S. W. Asmar, A. S. Konopliv, F. G. Lemoine, J. J. Plaut, D. E. Smith, and S. E. Smrekar (2007)
Science 317, 1718-1719
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Water at the Poles and in Permafrost Regions of Mars.
P. R. Christensen (2006)
Elements 2, 151-155
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
New Perspectives on Ancient Mars.
S. C. Solomon, O. Aharonson, J. M. Aurnou, W. B. Banerdt, M. H. Carr, A. J. Dombard, H. V. Frey, M. P. Golombek, S. A. Hauck II, J. W. Head III, et al. (2005)
Science 307, 1214-1220
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Dry granular flows can generate surface features resembling those seen in Martian gullies.
T. Shinbrot, N.-H. Duong, L. Kwan, and M. M. Alvarez (2004)
PNAS 101, 8542-8546
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)