Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Researchers have identified Acidalia Planitia, an 1,800-mile-wide plain in Mars' northern hemisphere, as a promising site for alien life. This region may have suitable subsurface conditions—water, heat, and energy—capable of sustaining microbial organisms.
The study highlights southern Acidalia Planitia, where subsurface water and radiogenic heat from elements like thorium could support methanogens, methane-producing extremophiles. These bacteria thrive in extreme conditions and do not require oxygen or organic nutrients to survive.
Credit: NASA
The potential habitable zone lies 2.5 to 5.5 miles below the surface, where temperatures are warmer than Mars' frigid exterior, ranging between 32 to 50°F. Researchers believe liquid water could exist here, mixed with the soil, creating conditions suitable for microbial life.
Methanogens are anaerobic microorganisms known to produce methane as a metabolic by-product. On Earth, they are found in extreme environments, including swamps, marshes, and even the guts of animals. On Mars, they could offer a clue to the planet's atmospheric methane levels.
Observations of methane on Mars have been inconsistent, with NASA's Curiosity rover detecting it in the atmosphere while ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has not. Finding methanogens beneath Acidalia Planitia could confirm the biological origins of Martian methane.
Planned missions, such as the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin rover set for launch in 2028, aim to drill into Mars' surface. However, its drill depth of seven feet falls far short of the miles needed to reach the potentially habitable zones identified by researchers.
Accessing these depths will require advanced crewed missions and innovative drilling technology, which are still years away from realization. This discovery, however, narrows down specific locations for future exploration efforts.
Published on the preprint server arXiv, the research marks a step forward in the search for extraterrestrial life. If confirmed, it would not only provide evidence of microbial life on Mars but also deepen understanding of methane's role in the Martian atmosphere and its possible biological origins.