Space Glaciers!
Mars is colder and icier than you might think. Discover what its glaciers can tell us about the planet’s past, and how scientific data inspired a striking brass sculpture.
Mars might be known as the Red Planet, but did you know it's also home to enormous ice caps and glaciers?
Despite its fiery appearance, Mars is a cold, icy world. Its north polar ice cap stretches around 1,000 kilometres across and reaches up to three kilometres thick in places. But how did all that ice get there, and what can it tell us about the planet's past?
In this podcast, University of Sheffield planetary scientist Dr Frances Butcher joins Sheffield metalsmith Holly Clifford to explore the frozen landscapes of Mars and the science behind their collaborative Festival of the Mind installation, Space Glaciers!
Using satellite imagery and 3D surface elevation data collected by spacecraft orbiting Mars, Frances studies the planet's glaciers, ice sheets and changing climate. Her research helps scientists understand how the Martian landscape has developed over time.
Together, Frances and Holly discuss how they transformed real scientific data into a large brass sculpture of Mars' north polar ice cap. From its sweeping spiral valleys and layers of ice to the sand dunes and craters surrounding it, the artwork brings a distant landscape into three dimensions.
Listen to discover how scientists study glaciers on Mars, what the planet's icy landscape can reveal about its history, and how art can help us explore a world millions of kilometres away.
Credits
- Researcher: Dr Frances Butcher (Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield)
- Artist: Holly Clifford
- Podcast Recording & Editing: Kitty Turner
- Podcast Producer: David Heath (Digital Engagement Officer at the University of Sheffield)
