Scientists believe that massive volcanic eruptions on Mars millions of years ago could have released large amounts of water vapor into the atmosphere, which then froze and accumulated as ice, even near the equator.
Until now, Martian ice has been found mainly at the poles, but NASA and the European Space Agency satellites have recently detected high levels of hydrogen near the equator of Mars, suggesting the presence of hidden ice.
A team led by Saira Hamid, a scientist at the University of Arizona, simulated volcanic eruptions that occurred about 3-4 billion years ago. The results showed that just one three-day eruption could have produced layers of ice up to 5 meters thick. If this supposed ice really exists, it could become an essential resource for future Mars rovers.
