An ice age recorded in the polar deposits of Mars

Isaac B Smith; Nathaniel E Putzig; John W Holt; Roger J Phillips

doi:10.1126/science.aad6968

An ice age recorded in the polar deposits of Mars

Science. 2016 May 27;352(6289):1075-8. doi: 10.1126/science.aad6968.

Authors

Isaac B Smith¹, Nathaniel E Putzig², John W Holt³, Roger J Phillips⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA. isaac@boulder.swri.edu.
² Department of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.
³ University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas, J. J. Pickle Research Campus, Austin, TX 78758, USA.
⁴ Planetary Science Division, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA. McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.

PMID: 27230372
DOI: 10.1126/science.aad6968

Abstract

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.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.