Public domain
On Frozen Ground
From the collection of NASA Image and Video Library. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The soil surface on Mars is believed to contain water ice, especially at higher latitudes. Similar to permafrost regions on Earth, this permanently frozen water remains geologically active. With the changing seasons, alternate cooling and warming causes the ice-cemented soil to contract and expand. Under favorable conditions these forces generate cracks into the hard frozen ground releasing the stresses caused by contraction.
NASA Image and Video Library’s own descriptionCredit lineOn Frozen Ground. NASA/JPL, 2021-01-29. Public domain. ID: PIA24385.
