Ice geysers 'discovered on Mars'

[Dave Monroe]

Ice geysers 'discovered on Mars'

Geysers spewing sand and dust hundreds of feet into
the air have been discovered on Mars, scientists say.

Images from a camera orbiting Mars have shown the
100mph jets of carbon dioxide erupt through ice at the
planet's south pole, Arizona State University says.

The orbiting camera, called the Thermal Emission
Imaging System (Themis), is on the Mars Odyssey probe.

The geyser debris leaves dark spots, fan-like markings
and spider-shaped features on the ice cap.

The scientists said geysers erupted when sunlight
warming the ice turned frozen carbon dioxide
underground into high-pressure gas.

"If you were there, you'd be standing on a slab of
carbon dioxide ice," said the university's Dr Phil
Christensen.

"All around you, roaring jets of CO2 gas are throwing
sand and dust a couple of hundred feet into the air."

Dr Christensen said the process was "unlike anything
that occurs on Earth".

His team discovered the jets through examining more
than 200 Themis visible and infrared images. The
findings were published in the latest edition of the
journal Nature. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5268892.stm

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