Water-ice areas at Martian South Pole
Date: 05 October 2011
Depicts: OMEGA view of Martian South Pole, showing water-ice areas (blue)
Copyright: ESA/OMEGA
Map of water-ice at the South Pole of Mars. The blue areas show deep absorption – corresponding to areas with water ice – while the red areas are ice-free. The water-ice areas extend far beyond the carbon dioxide rich bright cap.
Water is a key element in the study of habitability, and therefore it is important to estimate the content of the water reservoirs in the polar regions. Studying the frozen water and carbon dioxide in the polar caps can also help us understand the current climate of Mars and its various cycles.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
