Deep underground, radioactive elements break down water molecules, producing ingredients that can
Dust storms, cosmic rays and solar winds devastate the surface of the Red Planet.But underground, some life can find shelter. The environment with the greatest chance of habitation on Mars is the subsurface," he explainsJesse Tarnas, a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and lead author of the new study.Studying the Martian interior could help scientists know if life could have existed there.The best samples from the depths of the planet that are available to scientists today are Martian meteorites that fell to Earth.
For the analysis, the scientists took samples from the regions of Mars that are considered the most suitable for life.Meteorites are made up of a rock called regolith brecciafrom the southern highlands of Mars, which is the oldest landscape on the planet.
The scientists then analyzed the porosity of the Martian crust using data from orbiters and rovers.Next , the team developed a computer model to simulate radiolysis, which included the obtained and generalized data and predicted several plausible scenarios.
Computer simulations helped to assess how efficiently hydrogen gas and sulfates could be generated in Martian conditions.These chemical ingredients are able to support the metabolism of subsurface bacteria.
The analysis showed that if water were present beneath the surface of Mars, radiolysis in its interior would be able to sustain microbial communities for billions of years.Moreover, the authors of the discovery do not rule out that such a form of life may be present in the "radiation shelter" on the Red Planet even now.
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