Mars' North Pole Ice Is Far Cleaner Than Expected

A study in npj Space Exploration estimates that the top layer of water ice at Mars' north pole contains about 3% dust by mass, far below the previous estimate of roughly 25%. The finding is based on OMEGA and CRISM spectrometer data, the Phoenix lander's SSI camera and modeling.

• Dust content in the top north polar ice layer is estimated at 3% by mass
• Earlier models put dust by mass at about 25%
• The ice is layered: cleaner ice on top with thin dust layers beneath
• Winter frost is dustier and disappears in summer, exposing cleaner ice