Cryptic Mars landscape revealed as ice thaws in southern hemisphere

Paris, France (SPX) Oct 10, 2024

ESA's Mars Express has unveiled a striking collection of landforms as winter frost melts in Mars' southern polar region. Some of these darker features, emerging from the ice, have been dubbed "cryptic terrain" due to their distinct contrast with the surrounding frost. The polar caps on Mars consist mostly of carbon dioxide ice, with some water ice. During spring, the ice sublimates, releas