Mars hidden Ice Age clues revealed in ESA’s newly released images

The latest images taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) aboard ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft have revealed evidence of Martian Ice Age in the Coloe Fossae region.

Coloe Fossae is located in Red Planet’s mid-northern latitude. These structures are often formed due to dropping of surface material downward, characterised by long and shallow grooves within the craters.

These craters, formed by space debris, hold clues regarding the Martian Ice Age. The swirling and grooved patterns on valley’s floors and craters also reveal the movement of icy material on Mars.

These distinguished patterns raise questions about Mar’s previous climate.

Scientists attribute these patterns to concentric crater fill or lineated valley fill. These glacial flow patterns often form when mixtures of ice and debris travel across the surface similar to Earth’s glaciers.

Eventually, the mixture becomes covered with a thick layer of rocky material.

The presence of these hidden traces far from Martian poles suggests a major global climate shift. During colder intervals, the presence of these ice traces far from the Martian poles suggests a major global climate shift. During colder intervals, driven by changes in the planet's axial tilt, ice spread from the poles into the mid-latitudes.