title: Subsurface radar sounding of the south polar layered deposits of Mars.
abstract: The ice-rich south polar layered deposits of Mars were probed with the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding on the Mars Express orbiter. The radar signals penetrate deep into the deposits (more than 3.7 kilometers). For most of the area, a reflection is detected at a time delay that is consistent with an interface between the deposits and the substrate. The reflected power from this interface indicates minimal attenuation of the signal, suggesting a composition of nearly pure water ice. Maps were generated of the topography of the basal interface and the thickness of the layered deposits. A set of buried depressions is seen within 300 kilometers of the pole. The thickness map shows an asymmetric distribution of the deposits and regions of anomalous thickness. The total volume is estimated to be 1.6 x 10(6) cubic kilometers, which is equivalent to a global water layer approximately 11 meters thick.
authors.affiliation: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Plaut
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Safaeinili
authors.forename: Anton B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Ivanov
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Milkovich
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cicchetti
authors.forename: Wlodek
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kofman
authors.forename: Jérémie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mouginot
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: Roger J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frigeri
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orosei
authors.forename: Costanzo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Federico
authors.forename: Iwan P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Donald A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gurnett
authors.forename: Erling
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Tor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hagfors
authors.forename: Essam
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heggy
authors.forename: Ellen R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Stofan
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Plettemeier
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Watters
authors.forename: Carlton J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Leuschen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Edenhofer
mesh_terms: D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D007053:Ice; D018535:Mars; D011825:Radar; D018531:Spacecraft; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D007053:Ice; D014867:Water