An international group of scientists says there might be a lake beneath the ice at Mars’s south pole. If there is, that could mean that the planet is still producing heat. Which might mean life.
The findings were published in Nature Astronomy in September. Earlier studies used satellites to search for water. One was equipped with radar. Another used lasers to measure the planet’s terrain. The new study used computer models. Scientists plugged in data from the other studies. They created models of how water would act beneath the ice. Each study suggested the presence of a lake.
Mars once had lots of liquid water. But billions of years ago, it lost its magnetic field. Solar winds stripped away the atmosphere. Scientists think some of the water escaped into space.
More from Science
Share a Link
- Click the icon above to copy the url link to your clipboard.
- Paste the link into the location in which you share assignments with students. Examples might include, but are not limited to Canvas, Schoology and Edmodo.
Google Classroom
- Click on the icon above to share the article with a class in your Google Classroom.
- Choose an action. Options might include creating an assignment or asking a question.
