Remains of a modern glacier have been found near Mars’ equator, suggesting that ice may still exist at shallow depths in the region. If confirmed, such a discovery could have important implications for future human exploration of the Red Planet.

Using data from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) aboard NASA’s Orbiter Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), SETI Institute and Mars Institute have discovered light tonal deposits (LTD) on the Martian surface. These features consist of light-colored sulfate salt, fissure areas and moraine lines, which are the hallmarks of a “residual glacier”.

This remnant glacier is located 7° 33′ south near the Martian equator. w., 93° 14′ west. up to 1.1 miles (1.7 km) expression From the SETI Institute.

“We found salt deposits with detailed morphological features of a glacier, not ice,” Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist at SETI and the Mars Institutes and lead author of the study, said in a statement. Said. “What we think is happening here is that salt formed at the top of the glacier, preserving the shape of the ice below, down to details like fissure areas and moraine bands.”

The presence of such a glacier indicates that there is surface water ice on Mars. It could be much more recent than previously thought, influencing both our understanding of the habitability of the Red Planet and future exploration missions.

“This area of ​​Mars has a history. volcanic activity. And where some volcanic materials came into contact with glacial ice, chemical reactions took place to form a hardened layer of sulfate salts at the interface between them,” – Surab Shubham. Co-author of the study and a graduate student in the University of Maryland’s Department of Geology, Dr. “This is the most likely explanation for the hydrated and hydroxylated sulfates we observed in this light-colored residue.”

The observed LTDs consist of sulfate salts formed when newly erupted pyroclastic materials – volcanic ash, pumice and hot lava – come into contact with water ice. When these deposits build up, they form a crusty layer of hardened salt. Over time, erosion would expose salt deposits along with glacial crevices and moraine bands.

“Glaciers often have characteristic features such as marginal, broad, and tic-tac-toe fissures, as well as thrust moraine bands and foliation,” said John Schutt, a co-author and geologist at the Mars Institute. Said. in practice. “We’re seeing similar features in this lightbed in terms of shape, location and scale. That’s very intriguing.”

Previous research found glacial activity Near the equator of Mars in the more distant past, later glacial activity has so far only been observed at higher latitudes. Recent HiRISE observations indicate that these low-latitude LTDs are geologically young, according to the statement.

“The relatively young remnant glacier at this location tells us that there has been surface ice recently on Mars, even near the equator,” Lee said in a statement.

Although water ice is not stable on the Martian surface near the equator at these altitudes, it is possible for some glacial water ice to be stored under sulfate salts. More research is needed to confirm, but if there is indeed water ice in this equatorial region, it’s likely to be mined as a resource for future missions.