Life on Mars could exist in subsurface water pools, study finds

A new study has revealed where alien life could be located on Mars.

Although firm evidence has yet to be found, a new NASA study has proposed the idea that alien life could be lurking beneath icy layers on Mars in water pools.

But if you think Martians have been chilling in fancy underground pools and we've been none the wiser, that is not the case. The research team suggests an adequate amount of sunlight would be able to shine through the ice layer into shallow pools beneath it, thus allowing microbes to perform photosynthesis. This is the process by which living things such as algae and plants create energy.

As Mars lacks a protective ozone shield unlike Earth, the planet’s surface faces solar radiation even below its surface. However it is believed that layers of water ice with snow and dust have offered some protection, which is where Martian life could be lurking.

To test this hypothesis, the team used computer modelling. Pools of water similar to the Martian ones were found on Earth, and the Earth pools were found to contain algae, fungi and microscopic cyanobacteria. They all perform photosynthesis.

The white edges along these Martian gullies are believed to be dusty water ice.NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

On Mars, this ice shield would have blocked out deadly radiation. Two different types of ice have been found on Mars, water ice and frozen carbon dioxide. The new study, which was led by Aditya Khuller of NASA’s Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) , said the team focused on water ice.

It is believed that the large amounts of ice on Mars’ surface was probably formed during a series of ice ages on the planet, and it was during this time when snow mixed with dust before turning into ice.

Dust within ice absorbs sunlight, NASA Space Flightexplains, which causes the ice to melt a few feet below the surface. This gives way to the creation of subsurface water pools.

On Earth, dust in water ice can create cryoconite holes, which are small cavities that can give way to a small pocket of melted water that can host ecosystems which themselves can host simple lifeforms.

The paper, led by Khuller, suggests the ice, which contains dust, allows just enough sunlight through for photosynthesis, and in some situations, photosynthesis can happen three metres below the surface.

The research believe these subsurface pools would exist in the northern and southern hemispheres on Mars.

“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,” said Khuller.

The study, published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment is an exciting update in the hopes of finding Martians.

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