Salt water lake discovered beneath Mars surface?

A huge lake of salty water appears to be buried deep in Mars, raising the possibility of finding life on the red planet, world media report.

The study, published in the journal Science, does not determine how deep the reservoir actually is. This means that scientists can’t specify whether it’s an underground pool, an aquifer-like body, or just a layer of sludge, AP reports.

– If these researchers are right, this is the first time we’ve found evidence of a large water body on Mars – said Cassie Stuurman, a geophysicist at the University of Texas.

What researchers believe to be a lake sits 1.5 km under the planet's south polar ice cap, and is about 20 km across, BBC reports.

The radar instrument wasn't able to determine how thick the layer of water might be, but the research team estimate that it is a minimum of one meter.

The lake, resembling subglacial lakes that can be found under the ice on Antarctica, was discovered by Italian scientists.

– It's probably not a very large lake – said Professor Roberto Orosei from the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics, who led the study.

lake on Mars

salt water lake on Mars

Mars

life on Mars

water on Mars

Cassie Stuurman

Roberto Orosei