麻省理工的科學家利用環繞火星飛行的探測衛星採集到的地形及重力數據,分別算出火星南極冰冠的體積及質量,再藉此算出冰冠的密度為1220kg/m^3。科學家相信冰冠的主要成分是固態水(普通冰)及固態二氧化碳(乾冰)。由於普通冰的密度為1000kg/m^3,乾冰的密度為1600kg/m^3,因此在冰冠中水要比二氧化碳多。
標題
MIT observations give precise estimate of Mars surface ice
September 21, 2007
An MIT-led team of planetary scientists has found that the southern pole of Mars contains the largest deposit of frozen water in the inner solar system, outside of Earth.
The new results show that water, not carbon dioxide, is the predominant frozen liquid found in the southern polar region of Mars, said Maria Zuber, MIT professor of geophysics.
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