Mars North Pole Ice Cap Found to Be 90% Cleaner Than Previously Estimated
A new study corrects a major error in Mars science, revealing that the north polar ice cap contains only about 3% dust by mass, rather than the previously estimated 25%. Researchers Aditya Khuller and Pari Mohan used Earth-based snow models to analyze data from the Phoenix lander and orbiters, finding that the ice is layered like an 'ice-cream sandwich' with seasonal dust frost covering cleaner, older ice. This finding impacts models of Martian climate history and potential habitability.
