Mars polar water is pure: study

MARSDAILY

File image.

by Staff Writers
Paris (AFP) Jan 20, 2009
A large ice cap found at Mars' northern pole is "of a very high degree of purity," according to an international study reported on Tuesday by French researchers.

Radar data sent back by the US Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) point to 95 percent purity in this deposit, France's National Institute of Sciences of the Universe (Insu) said in a press release.

The Martian polar regions are believed to hold the equivalent of two to three million cubic kilometres" (0.47-0.72 million cu. miles) of ice, it said.

That makes it roughly 100 times more than the total volume of North America's Great Lakes, which is 22,684 cu. kms (5,439 miles).

The study appears in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us Digg Reddit

YahooMyWeb Google Facebook

Related Links
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

MARSDAILY

Important Role Of Groundwater Springs In Shaping Mars

Paris, France (ESA) Dec 12, 2008
Data and images from Mars Express suggest that several Light Toned Deposits, some of the least understood features on Mars, were formed when large amounts of groundwater burst on to the surface. Scientists propose that groundwater had a greater role in shaping the martian surface than previously believed, and may have sheltered primitive life forms as the planet started drying up.

SPACE TRAVEL UF Alumnus Works On New NASA Spacecraft Orion South Africa To Establish Space Agency NASA Adds Prizes To 2009 Rice Business Plan Competition Virgin Galactic Offers Accreditation To Nordic Travel Agents	MARSDAILY Mars polar water is pure: study Satellite Antenna Enables Discovery Of Buried Glaciers On Mars ISRO Processes Propellant Booster For Mars Program Martian methane, latest proof that 'Red Planet' is habitable?
LAUNCH PAD Japan Resets H2A Launch To Jan 23 First ULA Delta IV Heavy NRO Mission Successfully Lifts Off From Cape Canaveral New Skies NSS-9 Satellite Arrives In Kourou For February 12 Launch Sea Launch Selected To Launch Intelsat 17	EARTH OBSERVATION First Global Hawk Unmanned System For Environmental Science Research Landmark Year Ahead For Earth Observation Science Missions Satellite to keep eye on Ecuadoran turtle Mapping In A One Meter Sea Level Rise
OUTER PLANETS New Horizon Cruising For Three Years On Route To Pluto NASA Honors MSU Pluto Model For Teachers Flight Team Enjoys Some Mid-Cruise Time During Pluto Bound Mission New Horizons Earns A Holiday	STELLAR CHEMISTRY First Light Curve Analysis Of 20 Eclipsing Binaries With Integral OMC Astronomers From Princeton And Japan Unite To Explore The Universe, Near And Far Dust Detected Around Primitive Star Sheds New Light On Cosmic Origins XMM-Newton Measures Speedy Spin Of Rare Celestial Object
MOON DAILY We Will Have An Indian On The Moon By 2020 Chandrayaan Gives First Glimpse Of Darkest Craters On Moon The Moon Still Beckons ISRO Begins Work On Chandrayaan-II Project	GPS NEWS ecoRoute From Garmin Helps Lessen Carbon Footprint Of Cars Real-Time Vehicle Recovery To Auto Dealers' Customers Rand McNally Travel Guides Made Available On NAVIGON GPS Navigators Samsungs Processor Powers Lowrance HDS Series Of GPS-Chartplotter And Fishfinder Systems

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement