An INGV team detects recent surface ice activity on Mars, a valuable piece of data for understanding its dynamics and guiding future research and monitoring missions.
The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) consolidates its commitment to the study of Solar System bodies with new research that highlights the presence of ice on the surface of Mars at mid-latitudes. The study, recently published in the journal Remote sensing (https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17173072), was conducted by a team led by INGV in collaboration with the DICeM-University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, D'Annunzio University, INAF, and The University of Mississippi.
The observations are concentrated in the area of Ismenius Lacus, where morphological features consistent with superficial glacial tongues similar to those of terrestrial glaciers have been identified. Unlike glaciers on Earth, Martian ice does not derive from snowfall but appears to originate from the partial melting of the permafrost present underground.
"The combined use of very high resolution images and a digital stereoscope has allowed us to directly observe in 3D characteristics compatible with surface ice sliding phenomena that until now were only hypothesized.” – explains Marco Moro, INGV researcher.
The geomorphological approach highlighted structures attributable to plastic ice flow, including angular-shaped geometric bodies (SEPs) (Figure 1), herringbone structures (Figure 2), characteristic fractures (Figure 3), and channels with "false meanders," consistent with recent surface ice sliding and not fossilized fluvial processes as previously thought. Satellite climate data confirm the stability of the solid phase of water in the area throughout the year and a partial summer melt, supporting direct observations.
"These results allow us to better understand the distribution and dynamics of ice on Mars, providing new tools for future scientific missions and planetary monitoring.” – adds Adriano Nardi, INGV researcher.
The study highlights how INGV contributes advanced expertise to planetary research, integrating observations from orbiters and rovers with geomorphological analyses and three-dimensional models, opening new perspectives on the presence and behavior of water in space.
The authors of the research and the entire INGV extend their condolences to the family of Riccardo Pozzobon, a researcher who recently passed away in Alaska during a scientific mission.
Figure 1 - Sharp-edged polyhedra (SEP): Geometric bodies with sharp edges (Credit: NASA-MRO-HiRISE)
Figure 2 - Chevron structures (or herringbone structures) formed by the movement of SEPs in the direction indicated by the arrow (Credit: NASA-MRO-HiRISE)
Figure 3 - Three-dimensional, false-color reproduction of the glacial tongue flowing downstream within the channel, producing the characteristic fractures (en-echelon fractures) indicated by the red arrows (Credit: processed from NASA-MRO-HiRISE images)