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by ibgames

EARTHDATE: February 26, 2017

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REAL LIFE NEWS: MARS HAS SWIRLING ICE CAPS

by Hazed

The Mars Express probe has revealed that Mars has swirls of ice around its north pole, as can be seen in a composite image made up of 32 “strips” photographed over a six year period.

Both the Martian poles are permanently ice-covered. During the planet’s winter, the temperatures plummet low enough that 30% of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere freezes, which adds an extra layer of ice onto the poles.

Experts think that the swirling pattern, which can be seen in the image at the source link below, is caused by strong winds which blow from the centre of the ice cap towards its lower edges. These winds are twisted into a spiral shape, like Earth hurricanes, by the Coriolis effect (caused by the planet’s rotation adding a curvature to the gusts).

The swirly ice isn’t the only surprise this new composite image reveals. Scientists have also identified a deep channel carved into the north pole, breaking up the twisty ice patterns. The long canyon is 12 miles deep and 310 miles long, and it gets deeper as the ice continues to grow around it. That’s considerably deeper than Earth’s Grand Canyon.

It’s been given the name Chasma Boreale. I predict that when humans start exploring Mars, this is going to be one of the places they’ll want to look at.

Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/04/swirling_polar_ice_caps_on_mars/

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