A Reappraisal of Subtropical Subsurface Water Ice Stability on Mars
arXiv:2306.16987 · doi:10.1029/2023GL105177
Abstract
Two arguments have suggested the presence of subsurface water ice at latitudes lower than 30\textdegree~on Mars. First, the absence of CO2 frost on pole-facing slopes was explained by the presence of subsurface ice. Second, models suggested that subsurface ice could be stable underneath these slopes. We revisit these arguments with a new slope microclimate model. Our model shows that below 30° latitude, slopes are warmer than previously estimated as the air above is heated by warm surrounding plains. This additional heat prevents the formation of CO2 and subsurface water ice for most slopes. Higher than 30°S, our model suggests the presence of subsurface water ice. In sparse cases (steep dusty slopes), subsurface ice may exist down to 25°S. While hypothetical unstable ice deposits cannot be excluded by our model, our results suggest that water ice is rarer than previously thought in the +- 30° latitude range considered for human exploration.
arXiv commentAccepted for publication in GRL
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Cited by in corpus (3)
- Modelling Slope Microclimates in the Mars Planetary Climate Model
- Observations of Water Frost on Mars with THEMIS: Application to the Presence of Brines and the Stability of (Sub)Surface Water Ice
- On the Possibility of Melting Water Ice during the Recent Past of Mars: Application to the Formation of Gullies