More ice found on Mars than expected

posted by Mark Matthews on Nov 20, 2008 3:34:55 PM

WASHINGTON -- A probe orbiting Mars has found evidence of water ice farther from the poles than what scientists have expected. The findings by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter could make the Red Planet easier to inhabit years from now, said one expert who took the lead in writing a report on the discovery.

"Altogether, these glaciers almost certainly represent the largest reservoir of water ice on Mars that is not in the polar caps," said John W. Holt of the University of Texas at Austin, who is lead author of the report. "Just one of the features we examined is three times larger than the city of Los Angeles and up to half a mile thick. And there are many more. In addition to their scientific value, they could be a source of water to support future exploration of Mars."

A full NASA briefing is after the jump.

NASA PRESS STATEMENT

PASADENA, Calif.-- NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed vast Martian glaciers of water ice under protective blankets of rocky debris at much lower latitudes than any ice previously identified on the Red Planet.

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