Lakes of liquid water at Mars’ southern ice cap may just be mirages
Radar findings might instead point to clay minerals or frozen brine at the Martian south pole
![south pole of Mars](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/070921_AM_mars-lake_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
An icy cap (bright white region in this Mars Express orbiter image) that covers the south pole of Mars probably does not hide liquid water lakes beneath it, two new studies suggest.
Bill Dunford, FU Berlin, DLR, ESA