Recent simulations published in Communications Earth & Environment and led by Aditya Khuller of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena suggest that the right combination of ice and dust on the surface of Mars could create a suitable habitat for photosynthetic life forms. Although these simulations do not confirm the current or past presence of life, they do identify potential areas where life could exist and where future missions could look for traces of Martian life.
Without the protection of an atmosphere like Earth's or a magnetic field, life on the surface of Mars is almost impossible due to the intense solar radiation. However, a sufficiently thick layer of ice could absorb this radiation and protect any life forms capable of using solar energy, just like photosynthetic microorganisms on Earth. To survive, these organisms would have to be in an ideal condition in which they receive enough light for photosynthesis, but at the same time are protected from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Conducting a series of simulations on the possible combinations of ice and various percentages of dust, the researchers mapped potential environments where these conditions could occur. They found that very dusty ice would block too much sunlight, but ice containing 0.01-0.1% of dust could create a habitable zone at depths between 5 and 38 centimetres, depending on the size and purity of the ice crystals. In cleaner ice, a larger habitable zone could exist between 2.15 and 3.10 metres depth. In addition, the presence of dust could facilitate occasional localised melting at depths down to about 1.5 metres, providing the liquid water necessary for the survival of any photosynthetic life forms. These conditions could exist in regions at mid-latitudes between 30 and 50 degrees.
Although the study provides no evidence of the existence of current or past life, it serves as an excellent reference to guide future space missions aimed at finding traces of life.
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