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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • Mars polar layered deposits
  • water ice
  • electrical properties

Index Terms

  • Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Mars
  • Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Ices
  • Cryosphere: Ice sheets
  • Mineral Physics: Electrical properties
  • Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Remote sensing

Abstract

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 36, L03203, 4 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2008GL036326

North polar deposits of Mars: Extreme purity of the water ice

Cyril Grima

Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble, UJF, CNRS, Grenoble, France

Wlodek Kofman

Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble, UJF, CNRS, Grenoble, France

Jérémie Mouginot

Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble, UJF, CNRS, Grenoble, France

Roger J. Phillips

Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado, USA

Alain Hérique

Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble, UJF, CNRS, Grenoble, France

Daniela Biccari

Dipartimento InfoCom, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy

Roberto Seu

Dipartimento InfoCom, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy

Marco Cutigni

Dipartimento InfoCom, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy

The polar layered deposits are the largest reservoir of water on the surface of Mars. The physical properties of the ice and their spatial distribution are largely unknown. 140,000 data points from the sounding radar SHARAD on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter were analyzed over the Gemina Lingula region, one-fourth of the north polar layered deposits area. Maps of the dielectric properties of the bulk ice were drawn up. There is no basal melting signature. A drop of the dielectric constant in north-west of Gemina Lingula could be explained by an abrupt 250-meter uplift of the base. The bulk ice of the studied region has an average dielectric constant of 3.10 (σ = 0.12) and a loss tangent <0.0026 (σ = 0.0005). Analytic interpretations shown the volume of ice is pure at ≥95%. The impurities have a radial distribution, with higher concentrations at margins.

Received 13 October 2008; accepted 31 December 2008; published 12 February 2009.

Citation: Grima, C., W. Kofman, J. Mouginot, R. J. Phillips, A. Hérique, D. Biccari, R. Seu, and M. Cutigni (2009), North polar deposits of Mars: Extreme purity of the water ice, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L03203, doi:10.1029/2008GL036326.

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