Terraforming Mars -Subterranean Glaciers Discovered

When it rains, it pours - and nowhere is that more true than on Mars. Phoenix's recent confirmation of little bits of water ice has been succeeded by the discovery of vast subterranean glaciers of water ice, in bands ringing the entire red globe. Unfortunately we can't transit pure adrenaline and electric shocks over the internet yet so it's hard to communicate just how truly exciting this news is.

Terraforming Mars has been a sci-fi dream for as long as the species has known about space travel. One of the primary problems has been how to transport enough water to turn the red dust into lovely life-capable mud, with plans ranging from hideously expensive transport from Earth to the awesome (if so far impractical) idea of slamming a comet into the planet and colonising what's left. Now we find out that the stuff of life been there all along, just waiting for us to find it.

University of Texas scientists used the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter radar system to scan the ground. Return signals revealed the existence of ice hiding below the surface. This is excellent teamwork between the noble (and now deceased) Phoenix and other components of the mission; what might once have been dismissed as unlikely, or at least required more rigorous proof, now has that proof. When you actually watch a robot dig into the soil and find ice it really changes your picture of the planet.

Just like these hidden water reserves should. One of the underground glaciers has enough water to flood the entire planet over your shoes. So for those of you planning a Martian expedition, you can check off "Something to drink" on your post-Earth checklist. Food is more portable, air can be generated with plants and water, and radiation shielding is something we've been working on for a while. Off-planet exploration just became a lot more likely.

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By Luke McKinney

Martian Glaciers on New Scientist

Image credit: NASA/JPS

Comments

[Dave]

I'm not so sure terraforming will be easy now that we have access to water there. Doesn't water get vaporised and leave the planet soon after it reaches the surface?

[Saudi]

To Mr. Dave | November 26, 2008 at 01:10 AM

Water vapor is not lighter than C02 mars atmosphere main and perhaps only component, and it is very thin atmosphere though, this is one thing, the other thing is that water should be in liquid state first unless Martian atmospheric pressure is too low to allow for this to happen, and that might be a fundamental problem and could explain why no liquid water seen at all around the equator in summer. The only way to it is to have thicker and heavier atmosphere by an inert gas like nitrogen or CO2,
Similar gases may had been there allowing liquid water to flaw on mars surface in the past, but it looks as if those gasses trickled away to space slowly due to the weak planet gravity. Water presence on mars is no longer enough without proper atmospheric pressure to make good use of it, If that is the case then would be unsolvable problem, and should be it, no more go for Mars.

[hal barton]

All the water that ever was on Mars is still there - Mars was always cold - our sun gives more heat today on average than it ever has before. The only reason there were seas and lakes on Mars in the past is because it would periodically warm up for thousands of year at a time when it was hit by a sufficiently large asteroid or meteor or a comet with enough stony material to matter - there is plenty of water on Mars only a moron would think there is not - when water on Mars is a vapor, it is a very, very cold vapor - Think!

[AlphaSingularity]

We can always go there to do some off world ice fishing!

[DaCheez]

Wicked.
The idea of huge glaciers just under the surface of mars was interesting, but now that we know there IS huge glaciers there, it's like a dream come true for fans of Mars.
Next stop, discovery of LIFE on Mars. ( fingers crossed )

[wayno]

From the info i can gather from the net, it seems that Mars might have lost its early atmosphere due to the fact it has no spinning molten iron core which in turns means no magnetosphere. The lack of a magnetosphere means the stellar wind, although lighter in pressure than here on earth, would strip the planet of any gas and molecules within a few million years. I love the idea of terraforming Mars, (aboriginal life or not) and i believe as a species we are destined to undertake projects such as this. i think we just need to be a litte more realistic with our expectations. All the liquid water in the universe is not going to make Mars a habitable place if we cant keep it there. So, i put forward this question...."Is it possible to restart/ re-heat the core of Mars and if so, how do we do it?

[Hamy]

They should send a half dozen inflatable solar powered rafts with a heater system on the under side and start melting the ice now, ready for the first manned landing.

[maudyfish]

Maybe some day scientist will figure out how to make the core magnetic again, do you think? But don't you think that in the mean time, man will go to Mars and that won't stop them? It will not be like living here on Earth... They won't be able to walk out of the house and see the stars for a long time. It will all be done underground to protect the humans.......

Won't water become a precious commodity because it does sublimates when exposed to Mars atmosphere? (Is it really true that there is enough water to cover the whole planet?? This is the first time I have heard that.)

Perhaps there will be enough humans there to build "tent cities" one day; sooner than later, should be the case. Which bring to mind how to use the water and who will control the use of it. For example: Will there be united participation to colonize Mars? Who will have access to the water? What will it cost?

Does anyone see it that way?

[john]

my god how much did total recall want to get right????