Scientists have found a cluster of three salty liquid water lakes on Mars, each about six miles across, below the planet's south polar ice cap.
An international team examined radar data from MARSIS, a scientific instrument on board the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft.
The technique uses bursts of radio waves to image buried geological structures – in a similar fashion to 'seismic prospecting', which helps predict earthquakes.
They found the briny lakes – which have potential to sustain microbial life in extreme conditions – at Ultimi Scopuli, a region near the Red Planet's south pole.
Microbial life in the lakes could include extremophiles, which can stand intense heat, highly acidic environments, extreme pressure and extreme cold.
To read more, click here.