Overview
- Peer-reviewed results published Nov. 17 in Geophysical Research Letters, led by SHARAD scientists Gareth Morgan and Than Putzig, favor a rock-and-dust layer over a briny lake.
- Using MRO’s specially planned 120-degree “very large roll,” SHARAD finally probed the 2018 MARSIS target beneath about 1.5 kilometers of ice spanning roughly 20 kilometers.
- The enhanced pass on May 26 detected only a weak return at the site and no signal at an adjacent location, contrasting with MARSIS’s earlier bright reflection.
- Authors propose alternative causes for the MARSIS brightness such as a rare smooth subsurface layer, potentially an ancient lava flow.
- The validated roll technique will be applied to other sites, including Medusae Fossae, to refine searches for buried ice and resources relevant to future exploration.