Active ice on Mars: INGV data reveal recent glacial phenomena

A team of researchers led by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology has identified signs of surface ice sliding at mid-latitudes, opening new perspectives for future missions.

A team of scientists led by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) has provided valuable new evidence on the presence and dynamics of surface ice on Mars. The study, published in the scientific journal Remote Sensing , identified morphological features in the Ismenius Lacus region that indicate recent glacial activity , evidence that could reshape future research missions to the Red Planet.

Unlike terrestrial glaciers, the Martian ice studied by the team does not appear to derive from snowfall, but rather from the partial melting of the permafrost present beneath the surface.

soil . The research team, which includes scientists from DICeM-Università degli Studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, the University of d'Annunzio, INAF, and the University of Mississippi, used a combination of ultra-high-resolution images and a digital stereoscope for their analyses.

" The combined use of ultra-high-resolution images and a digital stereoscope allowed us to directly observe in 3D features compatible with surface ice sliding phenomena that until now had only been hypothesized, " explained Marco Moro, a researcher at the INGV . The geomorphological approach allowed us to identify structures such as geometric bodies with angular shapes, herringbone structures, characteristic fractures, and channels with "false meanders," all signs of a plastic flow of the surface ice, not of fossil fluvial processes as previously hypothesized.

Satellite climate data have strengthened direct observations, confirming that water remains in the solid phase for most of the year, with partial summer melting supporting the sliding hypothesis .

According to researcher Adriano Nardi, these results " allow us to better understand the distribution and dynamics of ice on Mars, providing new tools for future scientific missions and planetary monitoring ." The study confirms the role of the INGV in planetary research, demonstrating how the integration of spacecraft observations, geomorphological analyses, and 3D models can open new and crucial perspectives on the presence and behavior of water on other planets.