Planetary Society logo
  • “Exploration is in our nature.” - Carl Sagan

Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Icy Mars Cliffs

Icy Mars Cliffs
Icy Mars Cliffs About one-third of Mars has ice just beneath the surface. Scientists study the ice to learn what early Mars was like and whether it was warm and wet long enough for life to take hold. In this false-color image from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, layers of bluish ice can be seen layered inside an exposed brownish cliff face. MRO takes repeat images of scenes like this, occasionally revealing ice boulders that have tumbled down slopes. NASA / JPL-Caltech / University of Arizona