Admin Table of Contents
- 1 Who first discovered the polar ice caps?
- 2 Where did the polar ice caps come from?
- 3 When were Mars ice caps discovered?
- 4 When was the last time the Earth had no ice?
- 5 Who first saw Mars?
- 6 Where are the polar ice caps found on Earth?
- 7 What is the composition of the polar ice caps?
- 8 How old is the south polar ice cap?
Who first discovered the polar ice caps?
Major polar exploration began in the 19th century. The first expedition specifically to reach the North Pole was led by British Admiral William Edward Parry in 1827. Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen attempted a land-based expedition in 1895.
Where did the polar ice caps come from?
Polar ice caps form because high-latitude regions receive less energy in the form of solar radiation from the Sun than equatorial regions, resulting in lower surface temperatures. Earth’s polar caps have changed dramatically over the last 12,000 years.
How did Mars polar ice caps form?
Like Earth, Mars has a North and South Pole. But while Earth’s polar ice caps consist solely of water ice, Mars’ polar caps are a combination of water ice and carbon dioxide ice. As the Martian seasons change, the carbon dioxide ice sublimates (vaporizes) in summer, revealing the surface, and freezes again in winter.
When were Mars ice caps discovered?
1777
The German-born British astronomer Sir William Herschel began making observations of the planet Mars in 1777, particularly of the planet’s polar caps. In 1781, he noted that the south cap appeared “extremely large”, which he ascribed to that pole being in darkness for the past twelve months.
When was the last time the Earth had no ice?
Summary: For years, scientists have thought that a continental ice sheet formed during the Late Cretaceous Period more than 90 million years ago when the climate was much warmer than it is today. Now, researchers have found evidence suggesting that no ice sheet formed at this time.
Does it rain on Mars?
Mars may have once had planet-wide rain and snow storms that filled lakes and rivers with liquid water, according to new research. Planetary scientists can see that riverbeds and ancient lakes litter the Martian surface, but have so far been unable to figure-out what Mars’ climate must have been like to produce them.
Who first saw Mars?
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642) observes Mars with a primitive telescope, becoming the first person to use it for astronomical purposes.
Where are the polar ice caps found on Earth?
The polar ice caps are found, clearly, in the polar regions – they start at the extreme poles of our planet and stretch outwards, covering almost the entirety of Antarctica, the Arctic Ocean, the majority of Greenland, a good portion of northern Canada and some of Siberia and Scandinavia.
How did the polar ice cap change over time?
Polar ice caps form because high-latitude regions receive less energy in the form of solar radiation from the Sun than equatorial regions, resulting in lower surface temperatures. Earth’s polar caps have changed dramatically over the last 12,000 years.
What is the composition of the polar ice caps?
The composition of the ice will vary. For example, Earth’s polar caps are mainly water ice, whereas Mars ‘s polar ice caps are a mixture of solid carbon dioxide and water ice.
How old is the south polar ice cap?
The Antarctic ice cap is more controversial; although many scientists believe extensive ice has existed there for 15 million years, others suggest that volcanic activity on the western half of the continent it covers causes the ice to decay, and the current south polar ice cap is therefore no more than about three million years old.