📷 Image Credits: The Indian Express
Scientists have recently made a groundbreaking discovery of frost atop volcanoes on Mars, defying previous assumptions about the planet’s climate dynamics. Researchers led by a team at the University of Bern, Switzerland, uncovered these patches of frost near the planet’s equator, specifically in the Tharsis region, home to some of the tallest volcanoes in the solar system.
The frost, which was found in the calderas of these volcanoes, is incredibly thin, merely a few hundredths of a millimeter thick, comparable to the width of a human hair. Despite its thinness, the frost amounts to at least 1.5 lakh tons of water cycling between the surface and air each day during the cold seasons, an equivalent of 60 Olympic-size swimming pools.
Researchers suggested that the unique ‘microclimate’ around these mountains allows for the formation of these thin frost patches. This phenomenon challenges the existing understanding of Mars’ climate, as the daytime temperatures around the equator stay relatively high due to a combination of sunshine and the planet’s thin atmosphere.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, shed light on a potential ancient climate cycle on Mars, indicating past precipitation and snowfall on the volcanic peaks. The detection of this frost is crucial for comprehending Mars’ water cycle and atmospheric dynamics, essential for future exploration and the quest for signs of potential life on the Red Planet.
To make this discovery, researchers analyzed over 30,000 images obtained from the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System onboard the European Space Agency’s Trace Gas Orbiter. Through meticulous observations and validation, the researchers were able to confirm the existence of frost and its significance on Mars’ volcanoes, opening up new avenues for understanding the planet’s complex climate systems.
