Large expanse of bright white dominates the South Polar Regions. The Red-filtered image of 2022-10-05 is the strongest showing of the three filters especially compared to the Blue-filtered image. This suggests possible CO2 or H2O ice on the ground.

Early dust clouds observed on September 23, 2022. See below for images.

Two image montages dated 2022-07-25 and 2022-07-29 below provide evidence for ground ice and snowfall. Arrows point to the ice-feature for the blue, green and red filters. The red filter image carries the most weight for ice on the ground. If the feature was a cloud, it would not be be present or only weakly present with a red filter. Over the four-day period the ice was stable and did not sublime. The source could be snowfall providing enough depth to be stable. A polar cold front was imaged at the feature’s location a week before the ground ice was imaged. If the feature was frost then sunlight probably would be enough for sublimation.

Dark features including Mare Hadriacum, Ionium, Iapygia, Yaonis Regio, and Hellespontus are only faintly visible in Clyde Foster’s February 01, 03 and 07  images below. Arrows point to these features. Airborne dust is also normally tan colored in color balanced images. However it is proposed that there is dust is on the ground that is brightening the normally dark features. Next see a montage of  his April 01, 02 and 03 images. Arrows point to the same regions and once again show the tan color. However there are no notable changes over a two-month period that suggests at least a semi-permanent ground cover of dust. There may have been recent dust clouds that settled out over these areas.

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