The strange 'funnel' on Mars that scientists say could be the best place to look for alien life

  • Researchers spotted depression in a crater on edge of the Hellas basin
  • New analysis shows it was likely formed by a volcano underneath a glacier
  • They these conditions could host liquid water and chemical nutrients  

By Cheyenne Macdonald For Dailymail.com

Published: 19:55 GMT, 10 November 2016 | Updated: 09:47 GMT, 18 November 2016

A bizarre funnel-like depression on the surface of Mars could hold the ‘key ingredients’ for life.

It’s been thought that the feature known as the Hellas depression may have been formed by a volcano beneath a glacier, but now, researchers have conducted an in-depth analysis using stereoscopic images and digital elevation models.

The new investigation suggests the depression does have many signs of volcanic origins similar to ‘ice cauldrons’ on Earth, meaning it could create an environment warm enough to host liquid water and chemical nutrients.

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A bizarre funnel-like depression on the surface of Mars could hold the ‘key ingredients’ for life. The Hellas depression is pictured on left, while another feature known as the Galaxias Fossae depression is shown on right 

WAS MARTIAN LIFE FOUND 40 YEARS AGO? 

In a recent study, researchers examined the results from the 1976 Viking Labeled Release experiment, which at the time was said to have found extant microbial life.

The results showed simiarities to responses seen in terrestrial soil, including data from samples collected in California, Alaska, and Antarctica

They also evaluated non-biological hypotheses which have suggested that the results were ‘most likely caused by a non-biological soil oxidant.’

But, no such oxidant that could satisfy all of the findings has ever been identified, and there have been no further metabolic experiments on the red planet.

The researchers determined that the findings from the Viking experiments are ‘consistent with a biological explanation,’ suggesting microorganisms on Mars adapted and evolved to meet harsh environmental conditions. 

The site was first detected in 2009, when researchers noticed that the crack-like features in images captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter were similar to ‘ice cauldrons’ in Iceland and Greenland.

On Earth, these structures are created when volcanoes erupt under an ice sheet – and on Mars, these conditions have the potential to host life.

‘We were drawn to this site because it looked like it could host some of the key ingredients for habitability – water, heat, and nutrients,’ said lead author Joseph Levy, a research associate at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics.

The strange, funnel-shaped depression was found inside a crater on the rim of the Hellas basin, and it’s surrounded by ancient glacial deposits.

The researchers also noted another depression in the Galaxias Fossae region with a similar appearance.

‘These landforms caught our eye because they’re weird looking,’ Levy said.

‘They’re concentrically fractured so they look like a bull’s-eye. That can be a very diagnostic pattern you see in Earth materials.’

The strange, funnel-shaped depression was found inside a crater on the rim of the Hellas basin, and it’s surrounded by ancient glacial deposits

In the study, researchers created digital elevation models using pairs of high-resolution images, allowing them to analyze the 3D shape and structure of the depressions.

Doing this gave a clearer picture of whether the features had volcanic origins, or were created from impact.

Through this analysis, the researchers found that both depressions were funnel shaped, growing much narrower with increasing depth.

‘That surprised us and led to a lot of thinking about whether it meant there was melting concentrated in the center that removed ice and allowed stuff to pour in from the sides,’ Levy said.

‘Or if you had an impact crater, did you start with a much smaller crater in the past, and by sublimating away ice, you’ve expanded the apparent size of the crater.’

The site was first detected in 2009, when researchers noticed that the crack-like features in images captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter were similar to ‘ice cauldrons’ in Iceland and Greenland. An ice cauldron in Iceland's Vatnajökull ice cap is pictured 

The study revealed these two depressions likely formed in different ways.

While the debris around the Galaxias Fossae depression is suggestive of an impact, the Hellas depression showed many signs of volcanism.

The researcher says these depressions should be considered when looking for habitable areas on Mars – especially the Hellas formation.

And, other scientists appear to agree.

‘These features do really resemble ice cauldrons known form Earth, and just from that perspective they should be of great interest,’ says Gro Pederson, a volcanologist at the University of Iceland, who was not involved with the research.

‘Both because their existence may provide information on the properties of subsurface material – the potential existence of ice – and because of the potential for revealing ice-volcano interactions.’