Question
The present-day Martian surface is not known to contain water either in liquid or solid form, however, ice has been reported from the polar regions of the planet. This ice is likely to be frozen
The correct answer is
Carbon dioxide
Martian Polar Ice Composition
The question asks about the likely frozen substance forming ice on Mars' polar regions, noting that liquid or solid water is not typically found on the surface. While water ice exists, the dominant component of Martian polar caps, especially during winter, is frozen carbon dioxide.
Understanding Martian Atmospheric Conditions
- Mars has a very thin atmosphere, less than 1% the pressure of Earth's atmosphere.
- The atmospheric composition is predominantly carbon dioxide (around 95%).
- Surface temperatures on Mars are extremely low, often dropping well below the freezing point of water and even carbon dioxide.
Identifying the Frozen Substance
Given the atmospheric composition and extremely low temperatures on Mars, particularly at the poles during winter:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) readily freezes out of the atmosphere and deposits onto the poles as solid dry ice.
- Water ice is also present, particularly in the northern polar cap, but the seasonal caps are largely composed of CO2 ice.
- Oxygen, Sulphur dioxide, and Hydrogen are not the primary components that freeze to form the extensive seasonal polar ice deposits on Mars.
Therefore, the ice reported from the polar regions, besides water ice, is primarily frozen carbon dioxide.
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Important Questions from Planetary Bodies
- The correct sequence of planets in order of increasing surface temperature is:
- Atmosphere of planet Mars is almost entirely made up of $\text{CO}_2$. But the surface temperature of Mars is less than that of the Earth because:
- Consider two planets A and B with radii $2r$ and $r$, respectively. Let their distances from the Sun be $d$ and $2d$, respectively. The solar constants for A ($F_{\text{SA}}$) and B ($F_{\text{SB}}$) are related by
- Consider two planets 'A' and 'B' with the following characteristics. The relationship between $T_1$ and $T_2$ is
Distance from the Sun Radius of the planet Incident Solar flux density Equivalent temperature Planet A $d_1$ $r_1$ $F_1$ $T_1$ Planet B $d_2 = 4d_1$ $r_2 = 2r_1$ $F_2$ $T_2$ - Venus is closer to the Sun than Earth, and therefore solar energy incident on Venus is higher than that on Earth. However, the effective radiating temperature of Venus is lower than that of the Earth, because
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