Explore this surprising phenomenon of water frost on the Red Planet, which could be crucial for future human Mars exploration missions.
Scientists have observed this intriguing phenomenon through images captured by the Trace Gas Orbiter of the European Space Agency (ESA). These giant volcanoes located on the Tharsis plateau stretch over 5,000 kilometers near the Martian equator. These volcanoes have been dormant for millions of years. Among them, Olympus Mons stands out as the largest volcano in the Solar System, towering nearly three times the height of Mount Everest.
Frost discovered early in the morning on top of giant volcanoes on Mars. (Image: ESA).
Adomas Valantinas, a scientist at Brown University (USA) and the lead author of the study, stated that the discovery of frost around the equatorial region of Mars was entirely accidental and unexpected. According to him, scientists believed frost could not form around Mars’ equator due to the high sunlight and thin atmosphere in this region, resulting in relatively warm temperatures—unlike Earth, where frost can form on high peaks. Additionally, the atmosphere near the Martian equator contains very little water, making condensation of moisture unlikely.
Frederic Schmidt, a scientist at Paris-Saclay University (France) and a co-author of the study, indicated that previous space probes had observed frost in wetter regions on Mars, notably the northern plains.
The Trace Gas Orbiter captured images as the first rays of sunlight illuminated the tops of the volcanoes. From these images, scientists observed a glimmering blue layer of frost, a special texture visible only in the early morning and during the cold season. According to ESA, this ice layer is as thin as a hair and lasts for a short time.
However, ESA estimates that around 150,000 tons of water—equivalent to 60 standard Olympic-sized swimming pools—forms as frost daily on the tops of Olympus Mons, Arsia Mons, Ascraeus Mons, and Ceraunius Tholus.
Researchers believe that frost forms due to a climatic phenomenon within the volcanoes. Strong winds blowing along the slopes of the volcano carry relatively moist air from near the surface upward, where the moisture condenses into frost. Scientist Nicolas Thomas noted that this phenomenon has been observed on Earth as well as in other areas of Mars.
According to ESA, modeling how frost forms could help scientists uncover more secrets of the Red Planet, such as where water exists and how it moves between reservoirs. This has significant implications for future human missions to Mars.
