Signs in Martian Soil Point to Habitable Conditions For Life Over a Long Period

I wonder if there is life on Mars. Has there been in recent times? One of the biggest questions we have about our planetary neighbor is if there was life on that red planet.

The southern Ladon basin and the southwestern highlands of the Ladon basin have been identified by planetary scientists through a study of images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Clay shows the long-term presence of water under neutral pH conditions. Water flowed here from 3.8 billion years ago up to 2.5 billion years ago, according to the team.

There is evidence that a lake was most likely present within the Ladon basin and northern Ladon Valles.

An environment that would have been favorable to life at that time is supported by the low-energy lake setting.

It's not proof of life, but it does suggest conditions that could have supported it. It's the latest research to understand the conditions on Mars by what we can see.

The clays are thought to have formed around the higher ground above the Ladon basin before being eroded by channels of water and transported downstream into a lake in the Ladon basin and the northern Ladon Valles.

The most recent water flow would have taken place in the southwestern Ladon basin. The Eberswalde delta is just to the south of the study area.

Weitz says that the clay deposited by running water in Eberswalde was not unusual because of the many examples of similar young valleys that deposited clays in the region.

There is ice on Mars, but the search for liquid water is on. The study backs up the idea that flowing water was an important part of the landscape on Mars.

It's important to know how long the presence of water has been on Mars. Water is consistent with the distribution of clays and other rocks seen by the researchers.

Clays are a source of stabilizers to the environment. The chances of organisms being able to survive goes up if the conditions are put together.

"Habitable conditions may have occurred repeatedly in the region, at least occasionally, until relatively late in Mars history," wrote the researchers in their paper.

The research is in a magazine.