Ancient Ocean that covered 1/3 of Mars with Water, A new study conducted by University of Colorado at Boulder scientists. Options

[Guest_Bobby_*]

I found this article about Mars being covered with Water and found it interesting.
June 13, 2010

Here is the article:
http://www.colorado.edu/news/r/f9b2e812247...b0735f7098.html

[schaffman]

Which raises an interesting question. Could ice-covered lakes (like Lake Vostok, for example) still be present on Mars? How would one search for them? The ice would likely be mantled with dust and lag deposits. They would most likely occur at mid latitudes where ice is more stable. And they would likely be Amazonian in age (?). It seems if the zone of liquid water were shallow enough that MARSIS or SHARAD could detect the ice-water boundary. All questions I don't know the answer to. Does anyone know if anyone has looked into this?

Tom

[tharrison]

Which raises an interesting question. Could ice-covered lakes (like Lake Vostok, for example) still be present on Mars? How would one search for them? The ice would likely be mantled with dust and lag deposits. They would most likely occur at mid latitudes where ice is more stable. And they would likely be Amazonian in age (?). It seems if the zone of liquid water were shallow enough that MARSIS or SHARAD could detect the ice-water boundary. All questions I don't know the answer to. Does anyone know if anyone has looked into this?

Both the MARSIS and SHARAD folks have looked for stuff like this, as well as evidence of subsurface liquid water aquifers. So far they haven't found anything conclusive...they've found lots of subsurface ice in various places around the planet (i.e. the aprons in the Deuteronilus Mensae), but nothing suggesting liquid water.

[schaffman]

Both the MARSIS and SHARAD folks have looked for stuff like this, as well as evidence of subsurface liquid water aquifers. So far they haven't found anything conclusive...they've found lots of subsurface ice in various places around the planet (i.e. the aprons in the Deuteronilus Mensae), but nothing suggesting liquid water.

Thanks for the info.

Tom