Originally Posted by dyna mo

they've also recently identified underground glaciers on Mars that are full of frozen water.

Glaciers beneath the dusty sands of Mars contain enough water to coat the planet with more than three feet of ice, a new study shows.

?We have calculated that the ice in the glaciers is equivalent to over 150 billion cubic meters of ice ? that much ice could cover the entire surface of Mars with 1.1 meters (3.6 feet) of ice,? Nanna Bjørnholt Karlsson, a post-doctoral researcher the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, said in a statement.

Buried Mars Glaciers are Brimming With Water : Discovery News


combined with

Researchers have for the first time found salty liquid water filled with life beneath a dry valley in Antarctica -- a discovery, which supports the possibility of life on Mars.

"The occurrence of groundwater in Antarctica, particularly in the ice-free regions and along the coastal margins is poorly understood. Here we use an airborne transient electromagnetic (AEM) sensor to produce extensive imagery of resistivity beneath Taylor Valley. Regional-scale zones of low subsurface resistivity were detected that are inconsistent with the high resistivity of glacier ice or dry permafrost in this region. We interpret these results as an indication that liquid, with sufficiently high solute content, exists at temperatures well below freezing and considered within the range suitable for microbial life. These inferred brines are widespread within permafrost and extend below glaciers and lakes."

Deep groundwater and potential subsurface habitats beneath an Antarctic dry valley : Nature Communications : Nature Publishing Group