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A directed by Rutgers study has concluded that the subsurface of Mars would have been the most habitable region of the planet for simple life forms, probably due to the geothermal heat that melts the lower part of the thick ice sheets, according to a Article from Rutgers Today.
Available evidence for the earlier presence of liquid water on Mars suggests that the planet was once warm and humid, therefore capable of supporting life, according to a Article from NASA. This idea has led to debate, as climate models suggest that early Mars should have been extremely cold, according to the study.
The sun has brightened and in turn warmed the surface of the planets over time, but it was much weaker about 4 billion years ago, according to Rutgers Today. The fact that Mars had liquid water nonetheless marks an apparent contradiction called the weak young sun paradox.
“Even if greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor are pumped into the early Martian atmosphere in computer simulations, climate models still have a hard time supporting a hot and humid Mars in the long term,” said the lead author Lujendra Ojha, assistant professor in the Department. of Earth and Planetary Sciences, according to the article. “My co-authors and I propose that the paradox of the dim young sun can be reconciled, at least in part, if Mars had high geothermal heat in the past.”
The researchers analyzed data sets from Mars to determine whether subsurface melting through geothermal heat would have been feasible, according to the article. They showed that the required conditions were easily met.
The drop in temperatures on Mars over time, combined with other planetary changes, may have caused liquid water to be found primarily underground, according to the study. If there were life on Mars, it probably would have gone to ever lower depths along with the water.
“At such depths, life could have been sustained by hydrothermal (warming) activity and rock-water reactions,” Ojha said. “Therefore, the subsurface may represent the longest living environment on Mars.”
