4 ms·

The paywalled paper is here: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2019GL083947 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2019GL08...

by godber 7y ago

The paywalled paper is here: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2019GL083947 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2019GL08... Available through various institutions for free. You'll find the authors to be established Mars scientists who've been weighing in on the water/ice (and other things) discussions over the years.

godber 7y ago
The "Plain Language Summary" is as follows: "Frozen water is a very strong heat conductor compared to typical Martian regolith. As a result, near-surface ice measurably influences seasonal surface temperature trends, and the depth of the H2O table controls the amplitude of this effect. We leverage this influence on orbital temperature observations using a numerical heat transfer model to derive regional and local maps of the ice depth on Mars, at much higher spatial resolution than previously available. We show that water ice is present sometimes just a few cm below the surface, at locations where future landing is realistic, under mobile material that could easily be moved around. This ice could be exploited on-site for drinking water, breathable oxygen, etc., at a much lower cost than if brought from Earth." The old joke of "We find water on Mars every 18 months" is only true when observing though the lens of popular media and newspapers. The references section of any of these publications are clear evidence that no one has forgotten the earlier evidence.
s1artibartfast 7y ago
I think this may be the same data/paper for free : https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/ninthmars2019/pdf/6027.pdf https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/ninthmars2019/pdf/6027.pdf
- mturmon 7y ago
  Good point ... your link is the 2-page conference version (from June) of the larger and more-detailed journal submission (which was more recent, and for me, not available in full form yet on the journal website).

by godber 7y ago

godber 7y ago

The "Plain Language Summary" is as follows: "Frozen water is a very strong heat conductor compared to typical Martian regolith. As a result, near-surface ice measurably influences seasonal surface temperature trends, and the depth of the H2O table controls the amplitude of this effect. We leverage this influence on orbital temperature observations using a numerical heat transfer model to derive regional and local maps of the ice depth on Mars, at much higher spatial resolution than previously available. We show that water ice is present sometimes just a few cm below the surface, at locations where future landing is realistic, under mobile material that could easily be moved around. This ice could be exploited on-site for drinking water, breathable oxygen, etc., at a much lower cost than if brought from Earth." The old joke of "We find water on Mars every 18 months" is only true when observing though the lens of popular media and newspapers. The references section of any of these publications are clear evidence that no one has forgotten the earlier evidence.

s1artibartfast 7y ago

I think this may be the same data/paper for free : https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/ninthmars2019/pdf/6027.pdf https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/ninthmars2019/pdf/6027.pdf

mturmon 7y ago
Good point ... your link is the 2-page conference version (from June) of the larger and more-detailed journal submission (which was more recent, and for me, not available in full form yet on the journal website).