Overview
- A peer‑reviewed study in The Astrophysical Journal Letters interprets eight deep skylights in Hebrus Valles as the first potential karstic caves on Mars.
- The team, led by Chenyu Ding with coauthor Ravi Sharma, reanalyzed legacy Thermal Emission Spectrometer data indicating carbonate‑ and sulfate‑rich rocks around the pits.
- High‑resolution imagery and 3D structural models show geometries consistent with collapse from water‑driven dissolution rather than volcanic or impact origins.
- The features are mapped circular depressions lacking raised rims and ejecta, distinguishing them from impact craters and from previously known lava‑tube skylights.
- Authors recommend targeted orbital follow‑ups and eventual robotic sampling at the eight sites, which could offer sheltered niches for past microbes and potential habitats for astronauts.