Survey of remnant seasonal water ice patches at southern polar Mars ...
On Mars it is possible that after the recession of the seasonal polar ice cap, small icy patches left behind in shady places due to the low thermal conductivity of the Martian surface and atmosphere, are met by direct sunlight during the summer. These patches might warm up substantially and we analy...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
arXiv
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2212.02166 https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.02166 |
| Summary: | On Mars it is possible that after the recession of the seasonal polar ice cap, small icy patches left behind in shady places due to the low thermal conductivity of the Martian surface and atmosphere, are met by direct sunlight during the summer. These patches might warm up substantially and we analyzed below how could a liquid phase emerge in these places, surveying HiRISE images. 730 images that fit the selection criteria of location and season were analyzed, and we identified 148 images with smaller ice patches on them. Their separation from other bright patches, like clouds or lighter shades of layers and rocks were possible by their bluish color and strong connection to local topographic shading. These areas range between 140° and 200° solar longitude in the latitude band between -40° and -60°. The diameter of the ice patches ranges between 1.5-300 meters, and they remain on the surface even after the seasonal polar cap has passed over the area for the duration range of 19-133 martian days. With the help ... |
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