A new view of the South seasonal cap of Mars

The high latitudes of Mars are covered by a seasonal CO2 ice deposit. The time and space evolutions of this cover is a major annual climatic signal both at the global and the regional scales. In particular the measurement of the temporal and spatial distributions of CO2 constrains many atmospheric and surface processes involving the latter compound but also H2O and dust. The physical state and texture of the ices and frosts also represent valuable indicators. The hyperspectral imaging spectrometer OMEGA on board Mars Express has been scrutinizing the seasonal changes at the poles of Mars in the near infrared in both hemispheres since it began its operation in early January 2004