Pictures of the water ice in the Korolev crater on Mars have been released by the European Space Agency. The icy interior of the crater is maintained by a phenomenon know as an ‘ice trap’. This occurs naturally when “the air moving over the deposit of ice cools down and sinks, creating a layer of cold air that sits directly above the ice itself.” The cold air acts as a shield to keep the ice from heating up and disappearing. Since air is a poor conductor of heat, it exacerbates the effect and keeps the environment permanently icy.



These images are an excellent celebration of such a milestone. Taken by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), this view of Korolev crater comprises five different ‘strips’ that have been combined to form a single image, with each strip gathered over a different orbit. The crater is also shown in perspective, context, and topographic views, all of which offer a more complete view of the terrain in and around the crater.

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Source: [H]ardOCP – Mars Express Images Show the Icy Korolev Crater on the Red Planet