Washington (Web Desk) — A new scientific study has revealed that there is less dust at Mars’ North Pole than scientists had previously estimated, which could prove important in understanding the Red Planet’s ice and its past climate.
Mars may have appeared somewhat similar to Earth in the past, but today it is an extremely unsuitable planet for life. Despite this, the ice present on Mars is of great importance to scientists because it may preserve evidence of the planet’s ancient weather and climate.
According to research by the University of Washington, most of the ice outside the polar regions of Mars is buried beneath dust. Dust makes the surface of the ice darker, affecting the reflection of sunlight and the temperature of Mars.
The research has been published in the journal npj Space Exploration. According to researchers, information preserved in the ice could help determine whether Mars had an environment suitable for life in the past.
Aditya Khuller, a senior research scientist at the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory, said scientists agree that water exists in the form of ice around Mars’ North Pole. However, there has been a long-standing disagreement over the amount of dust contained in this ice.
He said that more dust makes the ice darker. Just as dark-colored clothing becomes hotter in sunlight, dusty ice also absorbs more heat and turns into vapor more quickly.