Press cutting: Life could be lurking in Mars' frozen sea

Space probes looking for life on Mars must dig deeper to have any chance of success, according to new research.

And they should start in what is thought to be a frozen sea of ice known as Elysium. …

A team from UCL has been studying cosmic radiation levels at various depths on Mars and has published its findings in the journal 'Geophysical Research Letters'.

Lewis Dartnell [UCL Centre for Mathematics & Physics in the Life Sciences & Experimental Biology], the lead author, said: "It just isn't plausible that dormant life is still surviving in the near-subsurface of Mars in the face of the ionizing radiation field." …

The team found that the best places to look for life would be within the ice at Elysium, because the frozen sea is relatively recent and so has been exposed to radiation for a relatively short time. …

Mr Dartnell said: "We have found that this suspected frozen sea in Elysium represents one of the most exciting targets for landing a probe." …

Roger Highfield, 'The Daily Telegraph'