Originally published March 2 2005
European scientists discover water ice near Mars' equator, suggesting a starting point to look for Martian life
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
European scientists using the Mars Express orbiter have discovered pockets of ice lying near the Martian equator, providing a good starting spot for the search for Martian life. Scientists know that Mars was once much warmer, with water flowing over its surface, leading to the possibility for life. However, though scientists admit it is possible that life existed on Mars, it does not prove that life ever began there.
A European space probe has found evidence for large blocks of water ice just beneath the Martian surface in relatively warm conditions near the equator.
The frozen sea of sorts, if follow-up studies confirm it, would be the first large quantity of water ice on Mars confirmed to exist near the equator, researchers say.
"Higher levels of methane over the same area mean that primitive micro-organisms might survive on Mars today," the statement reads.
Methane could be a byproduct of biological activity, or it could be the result of nonbiological processes, other scientists say.
Data from NASA's Mars Rovers reveal significant amounts of liquid water must have existed billions of years ago.
Scientists have been eager to determine how much water might have remained beneath the surface, either as ice or in occasional pockets of liquid that might support life.
The newfound pack ice, just five degrees from the equator, might have collected millions of years ago when volcanic tempests and water floods brought it down from nearby areas in the Elysium region of the planet, researchers say.
"The fact that there have been warm and wet places beneath the surface of Mars since before life began on Earth, and that some are probably still there, means that there is a possibility that primitive micro-organisms survive on Mars today," study co-leader John Murray at the Open University in the UK said in today's statement.
"The presence of liquid water for thousands of millions of years, even beneath the surface, is a possible habitat in which primitive life may have developed, and might still be surviving now.
"The question remains as to whether the frozen body of water is still there, or whether the visible floes are preserved in a sublimation residue draped over the substrate," the scientists write in their journal article.
NASA's Mars Odyssey probe found strong evidence for ice embedded in the soil away from polar regions, but scientists are awaiting confirmation of the extent of that ice.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml