NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter used the shallow radar instrument (SHARAD) to analyze five Martian glaciers, shedding light on their composition. The study found that these glaciers are mostly pure ice, with some sites containing 80% or more ice under a rock or dust cover. This discovery suggests that these glaciers could be a resource for future human explorers.
The researchers used different techniques to analyze the glaciers and compared their results. However, they found a surprising consistency in the purity of the ice deposits across all five sites. The compositions of these glaciers were similar even in opposite hemispheres, indicating consistent environmental conditions on Mars.
The scientists propose two possible formation mechanisms for the Martian ice: atmospheric precipitation or direct condensation. They ruled out pore ice formation as a possible explanation, citing that it would have resulted in higher levels of impurities.
Future studies plan to analyze more glaciers to solidify their understanding of this ice across the Red Planet.
Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/good-news-for-mars-settlers-red-planet-glaciers-are-mostly-pure-water-ice-study-suggests