The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars Express orbiter has captured images of carbon dioxide ice formations at Mars’ south pole, revealing complex seasonal patterns at -193°F (-125°C). These observations, made in June 2022, show an 8-meter-thick layer of carbon dioxide ice persisting year-round at the planet’s south pole. “Springtime on Earth has lots of trickling as water ice gradually melts. But on Mars, everything happens with a bang,” says Serina Diniega, planetary surface researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Technical Analysis of Ice Formations The Mars Express orbiter’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) documented the Australe Scopuli region’s ice dynamics. … Continue reading Mars’ South Pole: 8-Meter CO₂ Ice, -193°F Patterns, Geysers, 66-Foot Avalanches, and Dune Shifts