Dr Charley Lineweaver. Photo by Belinda Pratten.
Scientists from The Australian National University have found that extensive regions of the sub-surface of Mars could contain water and be at comfortable temperatures for terrestrial - and potentially martian - microbes. In a paper published today, researchers from the ANU Planetary Science Institute modelled Mars to evaluate its potential for harbouring inhabitable water. They found more than they were expecting. "Our models tell us that if there is water present in the Martian sub-surface then it could be habitable - as an extensive region of the subsurface is at temperatures and pressures comfortable for terrestrial life," said the lead author of the study PhD student Eriita Jones. Co-author of the paper Charley Lineweaver added: "We know that there is a hot, deep biosphere on Earth that extends to around five kilometres. If there is a hot deep biosphere on Mars, our modelling shows that it could extend to around 30 kilometres". In an earlier paper, the same scientists modelled the Earth and identified water that was inhabited and water that was not.
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