Scientists discover hidden water beneath Mars that could have supported life
Ancient Martian dunes hint that underground water—and possibly life-friendly habitats—lingered long after Mars appeared to dry out.
· ScienceDaily| Source: | New York University |
| Summary: | New research suggests Mars may have remained habitable much longer than scientists once thought. Ancient sand dunes in Gale Crater appear to have been soaked by underground water billions of years ago, leaving behind minerals that can preserve signs of life. Even after surface water disappeared, subsurface flows may have created protected environments for microbes. These hidden habitats could be key targets in the ongoing search for past life on Mars. |
Researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have discovered new clues suggesting that water once moved beneath the surface of Mars. The findings indicate that the Red Planet may have remained capable of supporting life for much longer than scientists once believed.
The research, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research - Planets, focuses on ancient sand dunes located in Gale Crater, an area explored by NASA's Curiosity rover. According to the study, these dunes slowly hardened into rock billions of years ago after interacting with groundwater moving beneath the Martian surface.
Curiosity Rover Data and Earth Desert Comparisons
The investigation was led by Dimitra Atri, Principal Investigator of NYUAD's Space Exploration Laboratory, together with research assistant Vignesh Krishnamoorthy. To better understand what happened on Mars, the team compared observations from the Curiosity rover with similar rock formations found in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates that formed under comparable conditions on Earth.
Their analysis suggests that water from a nearby Martian mountain gradually seeped into the dunes through tiny fractures. As the moisture moved upward through the sand, it left behind minerals such as gypsum, which is commonly found in desert environments on Earth. These minerals are especially important to scientists because they can capture and preserve traces of organic material. As a result, such deposits are considered promising places for future missions searching for evidence of ancient life.
Subsurface Water May Have Supported Microbial Life
"Our findings show that Mars didn't simply go from wet to dry," said Atri. "Even after its lakes and rivers disappeared, small amounts of water continued to move underground, creating protected environments that could have supported microscopic life."
New Clues About Mars' Evolution and Habitability
The discovery sheds new light on how Mars changed over billions of years. It also strengthens the idea that underground environments could be some of the best places to look for signs of past life on the planet.
The work was supported by the NYUAD Research Institute and carried out at NYUAD's Center for Astrophysics and Space Science. The center conducts advanced research aimed at improving scientific understanding of the universe while supporting the United Arab Emirates' expanding role in global space exploration. The project also involved collaboration with James Weston of NYUAD's Core Technology Platform and Panče Naumov's research group.