New Study Challenges Existence of Liquid Water Under Mars' South Pole

Cornell researchers propose simpler explanation for bright radar reflections initially thought to indicate a subglacial lake on Mars.

• Simulations suggest small variations in ice layers can cause radar interference, mimicking signals of liquid water.
• Radar reflections matching those of a subglacial lake on Earth may result from known Martian conditions.
• The study questions the 2018 discovery of a potential lake under Mars' south polar ice cap by the Mars Express orbiter.
• Researchers emphasize that simpler mechanisms could explain the radar data without requiring liquid water.
• The findings cast doubt on the potential for microbial life in the Martian south polar region.

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