National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Mars Pole Holds Enough Ice to Flood Planet, Radar Study Shows


Email to a Friend	<< Back to Full Story

A new radar survey of Mars's south pole (seen in true color, inset) has shown that its ice cap is thicker and wider than previously suspected.

In fact, scientists say, the pole contains enough ice to flood the entire planet's surface with 36 feet (11 meters) of water if melted. The ice is also far more pure than scientists had expected.

Image courtesy NASA/JPL/ASI/ESA/Univ. of Rome/MOLA Science Team/USGS; inset image courtesy NASA