Under the dry valleys of Antarctica there is water (and possibly life). What about Mars?

Photo by J. Mikucki

Many of us believe the frozen Antarctic desert. Basically, it's almost, and, except where covered many kilometers thick ice, there is the so-called dry valleys. In these valleys there is nothing at all - it is the driest place on Earth, the animals with plants simply can not live here. However, scientists have discovered that in the very life of the valleys may not be, but in the valleys it is likely to have.

A few days ago we published the results of research received financial support of National Science Foundation, which show that the valleys have a network of underground lakes that communicate with each other. And if there is liquid water, there should be a life that might shed light on the process of climate change in the past few hundred thousand years.

According to scientists, the underground water flows make up a significant part of the ocean food chain. Dynamics of the "underground lakes, the ocean," can serve as a tool to clarify the exchange scheme nutrients polar ecosystems.

Исследователи sure , that there are groundwater Antarctic colony of microorganisms that live, despite the difficult conditions. And the same may be colonies on Mars in the surface layers of soil, where there is ice and (possibly) liquid water. The scientists used a special device to obtain a broad picture of the surface layers dry valleys of Antarctica. The device is equipped with a number of sensors, aerial work, which lifted the helicopter systems.

The same system was used for the study of the glacier Taylor, who is known for the presence of waterfalls, water which is saturated with iron. In this water has long been discovered large community of microorganisms which use iron and sulfur to generate energy. Perhaps similar communities exist on Mars.

Source: geektimes.ru/post/249742/