Media post Fastook’s findings about Mercury ice accumulations

Phys.org, an internet news portal that carries science developments, ran a University of Maine media release about glacial deposits on Mercury. James Fastook, a UMaine professor of computer science and a Climate Change Institute researcher, studied the accumulation and flow of ice on Mercury, and how glacial deposits on the smallest planet in the solar system compare to those on Earth and Mars. Fastook modeled processes that led to glaciation at Mercury’s poles with James Head and Ariel Deutsch of Brown University. Their findings, published in Icarus, advance understanding about Mercury’s ice accumulations — estimated to be younger than 50 million years old and as thick as 50 meters. Simulations suggest the planet’s ice was deposited — likely the result of a water-rich comet or other impact event — and has remained stable, with little or no flow velocity. Space Daily carried the UPI story, and Astronomy Magazine and Discover Magazine also reported on the research findings.