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Study Suggests Liquid Mars Lakes Survived Under Thin Ice

1/16/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Thin ice lids could have allowed Mars lakes in Gale crater to stay liquid despite freezing temperatures.
The study was led by Eleanor Moreland of Rice University and used NASA Curiosity rover data.
LakeM2ARS simulated Gale crater 3.6 billion years ago and showed that lakes could persist for decades under a thin ice layer.
The findings imply warmer Mars periods could explain transient liquid water on a generally cold planet.

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Story summary

Thin ice lids could have allowed Mars lakes in Gale crater to stay liquid despite freezing temperatures.
The study was led by Eleanor Moreland of Rice University and used NASA Curiosity rover data.
LakeM2ARS simulated Gale crater 3.6 billion years ago and showed that lakes could persist for decades under a thin ice layer.
The findings imply warmer Mars periods could explain transient liquid water on a generally cold planet.