Frozen sea found on Mars, researchers say

Other researchers have speculated that if life ever formed on Mars, it could have gone underground and survived to the present day. (Lack of surface water now, plus the harsh radiation at Mars, suggest it's very unlikely there is any modern-day surface life.)

Many other scientists have said firm proof of life on Mars, if it exists, would require a new mission. The rovers on Mars and spacecraft orbiting there are not equipped to find life directly.

The ice exists in a block that resemble polar ice on Earth, according to the research team. It measures about 497 by 559 miles (800 by 900 kilometers) and averages up to 150 feet (45 meters) deep.

The underground iceberg is just 2 million to 5 million years old -- recent in geologic terms. It formed when early hominids were roaming Earth.

The feature suggests that "vast flooding events, which are known to have occurred from beneath Mars’ surface throughout its geological history, still happen," the Muller, Murray and their colleagues write. "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. Clearly this must now be considered as a prime site for future missions looking for life."

The researchers propose that the ice has been protected from sublimation by an overlying layer of volcanic ash.

"I think it's fairly plausible," Michael Carr, an expert on Martian water at the U.S. Geological Survey, told New Scientist. "We know where the water came from," said Carr, who was not involved in the work. "You can trace the valleys carved by water down to this area."

Confirmation could come soon
Evidence from the High Resolution Stereo Camera on the European Space Agency's Mars Express craft show characteristics in craters that suggest the water ice remains.

The pack-ice floes appear to have drifted into obstacles and become grounded on islands when the water level dropped, the scientists say.

But the case is not closed.

"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. A firm answer could come soon.

The Mars Express probe will finally deploy its delayed MARSIS experiment in May. The ground-penetrating radar instrument is designed to look for ice or water beneath the surface.

"If water ice is confirmed, this site represents a prime target for exobiology landers from the European Space Agency planned for the end of this decade," today's statement said.

If the ice exists, it would add to other frozen water stores on Mars.

Both polar regions of the red planet are capped by large areas of water ice. In the southern hemisphere, frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice, covers the water ice. 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.

Researchers stress that while liquid water is a key ingredient for life as we know it, the presence of water does not mean life ever got started.

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