On the origin of perennial water ice at the south pole of Mars: A precession-controlled mechanism?
- Montmessin, Franck
- M. Haberle, R.
- Forget, François
- Langevin, Yves
- T. Clancy, R.
- Bibring, Jean-Pierre
DOIAbstract
The poles of Mars are known to have recorded recent (<107 years) climatic changes. While the south polar region appears to have preserved its million-year-old environment from major resurfacing events, except for the small portion containing the CO2 residual cap, the discovery of residual water ice units in areas adjacent to the cap provides compelling evidence for recent glaciological activity. The mapping and characterization of these H2O-rich terrains by Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activité (OMEGA) on board Mars Express, which have supplemented earlier findings by Mars Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor, have raised a number of questions related to their origin. We propose that these water ice deposits are the ...
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