This computer graphic shows three craters in the eastern Hellas region of Mars, containing concealed glaciers that were detected by radar.
The image was created using image data from the Context Camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft combined with results from the SHARAD radar sounder on MRO and HRSC digital elevation map from the Mars Express spacecraft. The color of the Martian surface and ice was estimated from MRO HiRISE color images of other Martian craters and the polar ice caps.
Recent measurements from MRO’s SHARAD radar sounder have detected large amounts of water ice in such deposits over widespread areas, arguing for the flow of glacial-like structures on Mars in the relatively recent geologic past. This suggests that snow and ice accumulated on higher topography, flowed downhill and is now protected from sublimation by a layer of rock debris and dust. Furrows and ridges on the surface were caused by deforming ice.Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UTA/UA/MSSS/ESA/DLR/JPL Solar System Visualization Project