Scientific publications and announcements from space agencies

Water Frost Discovered on Mars’s Olympus Mons, Equator, Equivalent to 60 Olympic Pools

Jun 10, 2024, 09:00 PM

Scientists have discovered water frost on the Tharsis volcanoes near Mars’s equator, including Olympus Mons, marking the first time frost has been observed in this region. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about Mars's climate, as it was thought impossible for frost to form near the equator due to the planet's thin atmosphere and warm temperatures. The frost, which is about a hundredth of a millimeter thick, forms for a few hours after sunrise on cold mornings. The European Space Agency’s ExoMars and Mars Express missions played a key role in this finding, with contributions from researchers at Brown University. The study was published in NatureGeosci. The amount of frost detected is significant, equating to '60 Olympic-size swimming pools.' This breakthrough could have implications for future human exploration of Mars.