Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Ice Oceans Found On Mars

How thick?
Bowser — (archived)

How do they know how deep the ice is, and the volume? I mean, looking at the top of a sidewalk, the concrete could be 3 ½ inches or 50 feet thick. I'm sure the strength of the signal could be an indication, and how reliable might that be at indicating depth?

“The spacecraft contains an instrument called a gamma-ray spectrometer that looks for gamma-rays (high-energy light) with a specific signature showing that they come from hydrogen less than one metre (three feet) beneath the Martian surface.”

“The presence of such a vast amount of ice - if it were to melt it could cover the planet in an ocean at least 500 metres deep (1,640 feet) - will change profoundly the direction of future exploration.”

And, what might be the source of the regolith? Is it all “rain”? Is it distributed evenly except on steep slopes?

“The answer (to the question of where it’s been all this time) appears to be that it is in the regolith - the layer of loose rock and dust on the surface.”

Arf

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