On the red planet, spring brings with it a natural spectacle that is as fascinating as it is mysterious. The images captured by the Trace Gas Orbiter probe of the ExoMars mission, a joint project ofEuropean Space Agency and the Russian space agency Roscosmos, reveal surprising details of this phenomenon. The photographs show formations that look like hundreds of small black spiders spreading across the orange surface of Mars, particularly evident in an area nicknamed the “Inca City” for its resemblance to ancient ruins seen from above.
These formations are nothing but the result of explosions that fracture the frozen ground, caused by the increase in temperatures during the Martian seasonal change. These explosions can reach impressive dimensions, up to a kilometer in diameter, and are a unique phenomenon linked to the particular climatic conditions of the planet.
Mars, like Earth, has a tilted axis that causes the seasons to change. However, Martian seasons are very different from Earth’s seasons. During the Martian winter, temperatures can drop to minus 120 degrees Celsiusleading to the formation of a thick layer of dry ice from surface deposits of carbon dioxide.
With the arrival of spring, this dry ice does not melt but sublimates, passing directly from the solid to the gaseous state. This process causes an increase in pressure within the ice deposits until an explosion occurs. These explosions make the surface of Mars look like a boiling field, with cracks in the ice and dark dust being ejected upward through small geysers.
The dark spots, which give the impression of spiders, are actually dark dust coming from the underlying layers, pushed to the surface by explosions. The spider’s “legs” are fractures in the ice that form following these explosions.
These phenomena not only offer an extraordinary visual spectacle but are also of great scientific interest. Studying these processes helps scientists better understand the seasonal dynamics of Mars and the interactions between the surface and the atmosphere of the planet. Furthermore, understanding these phenomena can provide valuable clues about potential sources of water and how these resources could be used in future human missions to Mars.
The “Inca City” and its extraordinary formations are just an “example of how Mars continues to” surprise and fascinate scientists and the public. Every new image and data we receive from the red planet brings us a little closer to understanding a world that could one day host the footsteps of man.
In conclusion, the seasons on Mars, although extremely different from ours, are witnesses of natural phenomena of great power and beauty. The explosions that create the spider-like formations on the planet’s surface are not only fascinating to observe but are also fundamental to our understanding of Mars as a dynamic and ever-changing environment. With each Martian spring, we come closer and closer to unlocking the secrets of this enigmatic world.
