Amazing stuff!
"... Over 15 years ago, Mars Express studied the Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF), revealing massive deposits up to 2.5 km deep. From these early observations, it was unclear what the deposits were made of—but new research now has an answer. ..."
"... “Finding evidence of layering in all the major units of the MFF makes a compelling case that the deposits are similar to the ice-rich polar layered deposits,” ... “An ice-rich MFF deposit has important implications for the paleoclimate of Mars and could be potentially of great value to future human exploration of Mars. The MFF deposits are located at the Martian equator along the boundary between the northern lowlands and the heavily cratered highlands—an ideal landing spot for spacecraft as the lower elevation provides more atmosphere to slow a spacecraft’s decent.” ..."
"... “We’ve explored the MFF again using newer data from Mars Express’s MARSIS radar, and found the deposits to be even thicker than we thought: up to 3.7 km thick,” ...
If melted, the ice locked up in the MFF would cover the entire planet in a layer of water 1.5 to 2.7 m deep: the most water ever found in this part of Mars, and enough to fill Earth’s Red Sea. ..."
New Study Reveals Evidence of an Ice-Rich Layered Deposit on Mars (Smithsonian Institution)
Perspective view of Lucus Planum part of the Medusae Fossae Formation, a series of thick deposits found along the highland-lowland dichotomy boundary on Mars. The deposit shown here in this false color, Context Camera (CTX) mosaic, is several kilometers thick.
Map of suspected ice at Mars’s equator
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