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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Science
Sophie Curtis

NASA captures amazing picture of a massive ice avalanche at Mars' North Pole

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured an amazing picture of a massive avalanche on the Red Planet.

Experts believe the avalanche was created by a huge chunk of ice breaking off from Mars' North Pole, during to a period of warm weather.

As it fell down the cliff face, the ice kicked up a plume of dust, creating a red cloud on the planet's surface.

"Every spring the sun shines on the side of the stack of layers at the North Pole of Mars known as the north polar layered deposits," said Candy Hansen from the University of Arizona.

"The warmth destabilises the ice and blocks break loose.

"When they reach the bottom of the more than 500 meter tall cliff face, the blocks kick up a cloud of dust.

"The layers beneath are different colours and textures depending on the amount of dust mixed with ice."

The event actually happened back in May but has only just been made public by engineers at the University of Arizona, who worked on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Last year the orbiter captured a picture of a - the result of an avalanche caused by a meteorite impact.

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