Amazing Far North Find
A fast-flowing spring gushes year-round on Canada's Ellesmere Island, Canadian researchers recently discovered. The freshwater spring is the world's farthest north perennial spring ever discovered. The deep gash carved in a hillside by the spring resembles gullies on Mars, the scientists said.
Aerial view
This image, snapped from above, shows the spring-carved gully in the hillside above "Ice River" on Ellesmere Island.
Mars analog?
Gully features on Mars look similar to the spring at Ice River on Ellesmere Island.
Springing forth
A view looking north toward the unnamed mountain and spring, indicated by the red arrow. The valley in the middle of the photograph is Ice River.
Ice River
The informally-named Ice River is filled with ice all year, fed by the spring nearby.
High Arctic hike
A member of the Natural Resources Canada research team hikes across ice below the spring.
Stunning sight
The spring flows all year, carving a deep gully with walls up to 30 feet (9 meters) high.
