Under the ice: exploring the possibility of life in Mars' meltwater reservoirs

NASA
Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/IPAC/UCLA

A recent NASA study suggests that meltwater beneath Mars' icy surface could support microbial life, with sunlight penetrating the ice potentially enabling photosynthesis in subsurface pools, similar to life-rich environments on Earth. These findings are based on computer modeling, though direct evidence of life on Mars remains undiscovered, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.

Aditya Kuller, the lead author, underscores the significance of Martian ice as a target for the hunt for life, asserting, “If we’re trying to find life anywhere in the universe today, Martian ice exposures are probably one of the most accessible places we should be looking.”

Water ice and carbon dioxide ice are the two forms of ice that exist on Mars. Kuller's research, which was published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, is focused on the formation of water ice during Martian ice ages. This is because dust combined with snow is essential for melting at depths of up to three meters, as it absorbs heat from the sun.

Although the surface of Mars is too frigid for liquid water, the conditions beneath layers of ice and dust are more favorable. Numerical models indicate that water may accumulate in layers of dusty snow at specific intervals throughout the Martian year, thereby establishing an environment in which photosynthesis could take place at depths spanning from a few centimeters to meters. The dust absorbs heat from the sun, which elevates temperatures beneath the surface and establishes conditions reminiscent of "cryoconite" vents on Earth, where organisms such as cyanobacteria can persist.

Surface melting on Mars is challenging due to its scant atmosphere; however, the subsurface appears to be more promising. Similar environments exist on Earth, where dust particles and ice combine to form pockets of meltwater that sustain microbial life. Similar conditions may exist on Mars, notably in the mid-latitudes, where the upper layers of ice could shield bodies of water from radiation, thereby enabling photosynthesis to take place.

In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of these potential habitats and to identify promising targets for future missions to explore Mars' concealed subsurface waters, Kuller's team intends to replicate Martian dusty ice in the laboratory.

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