Mars

Colorful Mars



Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A and M University/Ames


Reveals Ice?


This colour-coded elevation map shows the trenches left after Phoenix scooped up some dirt. The trench is 7 to 8 cm at its deepest (blue). Because the terrain itself is inclined at a 14-degree angle, the highest areas (pink) are about 20 cm above the lowest areas.

It is too early to say, but what could possibly be ice are the white patches that lie in a trough between polygons. We still have to wait and see. It could be salt, it could be ice or nothing special at all...:-)