This is the latest of a series of images to monitor ice exposed by a new impact crater that formed before 2012. The bright and relatively blue patches have continuously shrunk over time, and today there is only a small area inside the crater that is slightly brighter and bluer than the typical dusty Mars surface.

A closeup shows three prior images, all acquired in the same season (middle northern spring). Note that HiRISE images are stretched according to the scene brightness range, so the earlier images have much darker surrounding areas because the exposed ice is so bright.

The ice fades over time as the water ice sublimates into the atmosphere during warm seasons, aided by dust that settles out from the atmosphere to cover the ice. There must still be abundant clean water ice throughout this area only centimeters or inches below the dust cover.

ID: ESP_087476_2240
date: 25 March 2025
altitude: 303 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_087476_2240
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science #NASA