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Space
Space
Science
Charles Q. Choi

Volcanic explosions on Mars may have left massive ice deposits at the Red Planet's equator

False-color blue and green splotches on a cratered grey surface.

Ancient explosive volcanic eruptions on Mars could help explain mysterious hints of buried ice from the Red Planet's equator, a new study finds.

Previous research has found that the surface of Mars is rich in ice. Most of these deposits are located at its poles, just as seen on Earth. However, recently the Mars Odyssey and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft detected elevated levels of hydrogen near the ground on the equatorial regions of Mars. This ice could have lasted for long spans of time if buried under dust or volcanic debris, and still might exist below the surface of equatorial regions on the Red Planet.

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