At least 150,000 tons of water in the form of frost have been found on Mars

Illustration of Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system

Scientists have discovered frost on the tops of volcanoes in the Tharsis region of Mars, which is home to some of the largest mountains in the solar system. The volcanoes there can be three times as tall as Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth.

During the cold months, the amount of frost that collects in this area can be equivalent to 150,000 tons of water, enough to fill 60 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

"We used to think that frost could not form around the Martian equator, due to the hot sun in this region and the thin atmosphere that causes high temperatures during the day both on the ground and on the mountaintops," according to Space.com , citing report author Adomas Valantinas of Brown University (USA).

Frost was first observed by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) TGO orbiter. After analyzing 30,000 images sent back by TGO, researchers confirmed the existence of frost on the volcano’s peaks.

The team of experts concluded that frost accumulates along the volcano's peaks each night, before melting under the blazing sun during the day.

Mars appears clearly in color image just released by NASA

The new discovery plays an important role in establishing a model of the existence of water on Mars, allowing for use in future human exploration missions.

The researchers published their discovery in the journal Nature Geoscience .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/it-nhat-150000-tan-nuoc-duoi-dang-suong-gia-duoc-tim-thay-o-sao-hoa-185240613154645739.htm