The Global Three Dimensional Distribution and Temperature of Near-Surface Martian Ground Ice: New Results from MGS TES

We have discovered significant global-scale seasonal thermal anomalies in the MGS TES surface temperature observations that coincide spatially with the Odyssey GRS observations of enhanced near-surface hydrogen abundance. The TES thermal anomalies can be explained quantitatively by the widespread presence of cold, high thermal inertia material within millimeters to centimeters of the surface that we interpret as evidence for ground ice that must extend to depths of many meters. The results provide significant insights into the properties and processes that govern the behavior of Martian water under current climatic conditions, the surface geology of the planet, as well as much higher resolution Martian ground ice maps than have been previously available.