An ice age recorded in the polar deposits of Mars | Zendy

I. B. Smith | Zendy; N. E. Putzig | Zendy; J. W. Holt | Zendy; R. J. Phillips | Zendy

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An ice age recorded in the polar deposits of Mars

Author(s) -

I. B. Smith,

N. E. Putzig,

J. W. Holt,

R. J. Phillips

Publication year - 2016

Publication title -

science

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 12.556

H-Index - 1186

eISSN - 1095-9203

pISSN - 0036-8075

DOI - 10.1126/science.aad6968

Subject(s) - mars exploration program , astrobiology , martian , orbiter , geology , planet , cryosphere , ice age , sea ice , climatology , astronomy , paleontology , physics , glacial period

Layered ice deposits at the poles of Mars record a detailed history of accumulation and erosion related to climate processes. Radar investigations measure these layers and provide evidence for climate changes such as ice advance and retreat. We present a detailed analysis of observational data showing that ~87,000 cubic kilometers of ice have accumulated at the poles since the end of the last ice age ~370,000 years ago; this volume is equivalent to a global layer of ~60 centimeters. The majority of the material accumulated at the north pole. These results provide both a means to understand the accumulation history of the polar deposits as related to orbital Milankovitch cycles and constraints for better determination of Mars' past and future climates.

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