Water Frost Discovered on Mars’ Tallest Volcano Olympus Mons for the First Time

Researchers were surprised that for the first time, water frost was observed on Mars and the top of the Olympus Mons -- the tallest volcano in the Solar System.

Water Frost Seen On Mars

Recent studies have found frost on Mars' massive shield volcanoes, although it only lasts briefly after daylight before evaporating. Particularly since the 2008 finding of water ice, numerous investigations have focused on Mars' polar caps. They are everlasting, yet their sizes change with the seasons.

The frost was found using high-resolution photos from the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS), one of the ESA Trace Gas Orbiter instruments. Additional independent observations from the Mars Express Orbiter's High-Resolution Stereo Camera validated the discovery.

Since this is the first time water frost has been found close to the planet's equator, the dynamics of the planet's climate need to be reconsidered. We previously believed that the amount of solar energy and the thin atmosphere at the equator made it highly unlikely for frost to form. Because of the circumstances, surface temperatures can rise to a respectably high level-too high for frost to grow anywhere on top of volcanoes.

According to the study, frost only briefly occurs a few hours after sunrise before being evaporated by the sun's rays due to the high temperatures.

It is important to remember that, even though frost is only a thin layer- roughly the width of a human hair- it is estimated that 150,000 tons of water cycle daily between the atmosphere and the surface.

The crew has found deposits of frost within the volcano's caldera. These vents at the volcano's peak are where earlier eruptions burst through the crust, creating these hollows. It is currently believed that unique microclimates cause the thin coatings of frost that accumulate on the summits of volcanoes.

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Briny Lake on Mars Detected?

Still, on the search for proof of water on Mars, another study revisited the previous report that MARSIS picked up signals of subterranean liquid water on the Red Planet. However, recent research wasn't convinced that the radar signal was from a body of water.

According to Daniel Lalich, lead author of the study, there's a chance that liquid exists on Mars. However, he points out many variables to consider in determining the echo detected by the radar. Thus, he isn't persuaded that the echo detected by MARSIS came from a body of water on the Red Planet.

Because of their flat surface, lakes reflect radar very well back to their source. Much like the water pockets beneath Antarctica seen in locations like Lake Vostok, powerful radar reflections detected by MARSIS on Earth would almost certainly imply liquid water. Extrapolating Earth's conditions to other planets requires prudence because planetary scientists deal with different environments.

Lalich's team ran hundreds of simulations to see if many closely spaced ice layers could replicate a lake's radar signal. Different ice layer compositions and thicknesses, or how dirty the layers were, were incorporated into each simulation.

They found that in some circumstances, densely packed ice layers that were long ago crushed by the weight of the ice sheet might create dazzling radar reflections that mimic those seen by MARSIS.

Due to its inadequate spatial resolution, the ice layers are too thin for MARSIS's radar technology to discern. Since they are packed so closely together, each layer would reflect a portion of the radar beams. The radar echoes amplify and seem brighter due to overlapping and merging.

While it is still unknown if there is a briny lake beneath the south polar cap, Lalich argues that the simulations provide a much more straightforward and likely explanation than a lake.

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