WASHINGTON: NASA has discovered that the south pole of Mars is home to 30 times more dry ice than previously believed, suggesting that the red planet was once a much wetter place, said a study, Thursday. Taking data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, researchers found “large quantities of ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide may be trapped in the solid chunks of dry ice”. “The results add to a growing pile of evidence suggesting that...ancient Mars had a thicker, carbon dioxide-filled atmosphere and flowing bodies of water,” said the study. The dry ice reservoir is nearly 3,000 cubic miles, similar in volume to the largest of the Five Great Lakes of North America, NASA said in a statement. – Agence France
