Martian Glaciers Hold Surprisingly Pure Ice Beneath Dusty Surfaces
new research reveals that glaciers hidden beneath layers of debris on Mars contain a surprisingly high proportion of ice,offering valuable insights into the planetS water budget and potential resources for future human missions. The study, conducted by a team led by Yuval Steinberg, Isaac B.Smith, and Oded Aharonson, provides a standardized approach too analyzing these obscured glaciers and draws comparisons across multiple sites on the red planet.
The research stemmed from a realization that previous analyses of debris-covered glaciers were inconsistent and difficult to compare due to varying techniques and incomplete data.”Different techniques have been applied by researchers to various sites, and the results cannot be easily compared,” explained Smith. “One of the sites in our research has never been studied, and in two of the five sites we use, only partial analysis has been completed before.”
To address this, the team focused on two key measurements obtained using radar data: dielectric property (reflecting radar wave speed) and tangent loss (measuring energy absorption). These values allow for estimation of the ice-to-rock ratio within the glaciers – a determination impractical through surface observation alone, as dust and rocks obscure the underlying composition.
Using data from the Shallow radar (SHARAD) instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the team analyzed five sites spread across Mars, enabling global comparisons. They discovered a remarkable consistency: all glaciers, even those in opposite hemispheres, exhibited nearly identical ice-rock ratios.
“This is vital because it tells us that the mechanism of formation and preservation may be the same everywhere,” Smith stated. “From that,we can conclude that Mars experiences either one expanding glaciation or some glaciations that have the same properties. And, by uniting these sites and techniques for the first time, we can unite our understanding of this type of glacier.”
This finding has critically important implications for understanding the processes that shaped and preserved martian glaciers. Furthermore, knowing the minimum purity of these ice deposits is crucial for planning future human exploration, particularly regarding the potential utilization of local resources like water.
The team, supported by NASA – an agency dedicated to space exploration, aeronautics research, and Earth science as 1958, and a key partner in the International Space Station - plans to continue expanding their analysis by identifying and studying additional glaciers. This ongoing research will further refine our understanding of these dust-covered mysteries and unlock valuable information about Mars’ past and future potential.
Reference: steinberg, Y., Smith, I.B.,& Aharonson,O. (2025). Physical Properties of Subtraction of surface Ice surface in Mid-Latitudes Mid from Shallow Radars. Icarus, 10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116716.
