Frost on Mars’ Biggest Volcano: ESA’s Mars Express Strikes Ice on Olympus Mons

In June 2024, ESA’s Mars Express orbiter discovered water frost within the summit caldera of Olympus Mons, contradicting prior models of Martian water distribution due to the equatorial region’s warmth. The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) captured this unprecedented observation. This ephemeral frost, likely thin water ice, forms in Martian mornings, sublimating under sunlight. Its formation is hypothesized to be due to a unique caldera microclimate, driven by air circulation patterns influenced by Olympus Mons’ topography and Martian atmospheric dynamics. Ascending moist air cools and condenses, depositing frost on the caldera floor. Frost formation mechanisms, spatial distribution, and temporal variability remain unclear. Implications for the Martian water cycle, potential habitability, and interaction with the volcanic terrain and surrounding atmosphere require further investigation. Images credit: ESA Mars Express mission | 1st panorama credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/Aster Cowart, CC BY-SA 4.0 2-4 images credit: ESA Mars Express mission, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO Final Olympus Mons scale visualization: iGadgetPro Visuals and sound made by iGadgetPro Like and Subscribe! Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 0:12 - Formation Mechanisms of Frost on Martian Volcanoes 0:57 - Olympus Mons Frost Discovery: ESA Mars Express Mission 1:43 - Detailed Visualisations of Olympus Mons Caldera 2:43 - Tallest volcano in the solar system by iGadgetPro #mars #marsfrost #ESA #MarsExpress #MarsDiscovery