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Life on Mars? Research hints at salty ponds under red planet's surface

New research shows evidence of salty ponds on Mars: PA
New research shows evidence of salty ponds on Mars: PA

Salty ponds could be hidden under Mars' icy surface, raising the possibility of microbial life.

The news comes two years after scientists first detected a potential salty lake on the surface of Mars' southern ice cap.

New research conducted by Italian scientists for the Journal Nature Astronomy, provides further evidence of the salty underground lake, which is estimated to be 12 to 18 miles across and buried one mile beneath the surface.

Roma Tre University's research team, led by Sebastian Emanuel Lauro, were able to identify three smaller bodies of water surrounding the lake.

The study, which was published on Monday, described the ponds as "patchy water pools or wet areas of smaller extent."

It also notes that the ponds were different sizes and separate from the main underground lake.

New research on Mars raises prospects of Microbial life on planet (PA)
New research on Mars raises prospects of Microbial life on planet (PA)

According to CNN, the team of scientists used a Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft for the research.

The radar covered a larger area of the Martian surface and gathered additional data, allowing the scientists to "confirm the liquid nature of the previously observed lake".

The method is similar to that used to detect buried lakes in the Antarctic and Canadian Arctic on Earth.

The study comes a year after researchers suggested that, three to four billion years ago, before Mars became cold and temperatures dropped, the planet was warm enough to host rainstorms, which in turn could have created an environment that could support life.

In the report, the researchers wrote that “future missions to Mars should target this region."