Page 49 - (DK) Eyewitness - Mars

IN SEARCH OF WATER ICE
Odyssey orbits Mars, using Mars Orbiter Laser
Altimeter instruments to scan for subsurface
ice. The water ice pictured in this cross-section
illustration is abundant below ground in both
the north and south polar regions.

HYDROGEN
DISTRIBUTION ON MARS
Odyssey and Mars Express orbiter data show Martian
soils have subsurface hydrogen, colored deep blue in
this map. A hydrogen presence tells of materials that
are hydrated—contain water. It is likely that this would
be in the form of ice or chemically bound with
minerals. High concentrations of hydrogen-rich
material lie toward the polar regions, northwest of the
Tharsis region, and in Valles Marineris canyons.