MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding) radar of the Mars Express space probe has enabled the structure of the layered deposits of region to be made clear.
This is for the first time in the history of space exploration that topographic maps of the Martian sub-soil have been produced. These maps have shown considerable amount of ice on the red planet.
The Grenoble Planetary Laboratory (LPG) has been closely involved in processing the data.
The MARSIS low frequency radar has been designed so that its signals penetrate into the Martian sub-soil, enabling it to peep 3.7km into the soil.
The research has also revealed that the South Polar Region of the planet is mainly covered with ice. Another important finding is that the depths of ice varies considerably, in particular a series of depressions of 50 to 200 km diameters and with a depth of around 1 km compared to the average level of subsurface have been identified at high latitudes.
The instrument aboard the space craft has also determined the total volume of ice on Mars which stands at 1.6 million cubic kilometers. The volume is so huge that if all the ice on the planet melted then it would cover Mars under 11 m of water.
So much of water will again hype the long standing debate of life on Mars. May be there is no life on the planet at present, but having water may mean that the planet once harbored life and one day we might find some traces of it under the depth of ice.
Via: Spaceref
