Minerals found in the subsurface of Mars, a zone of more
than three miles below ground, make for the strongest evidence yet that the red
planet may have supported life, according to research “Groundwater activity on Mars and implications for a deep biosphere” published in Nature Geoscience on
January 20, 2013.
Up to half of all life on Earth consists of simple
microorganisms hidden in rocks beneath the surface and for some time,
scientists have suggested that the same may be true for Mars. Now this theory
has been supported by new research, which suggests that the ingredients for
life have been present in the Martian subsurface for much of the planet’s
history.