(photos: JPL/NASA/MSSC)

Principal Investigator: John W. Holt

Co-Investigator: Donald D. Blankenship

Climatic, hydrological, and geological conditions for the Dry Valleys of Antarctica are analogous in many ways to those on Mars, and many ice-related features in the Dry Valleys may have morphological and compositional counterparts on Mars. General radar models are being developed using data collected in the Dry Valleys, during the 2000-2001 field season, for ice-related features such as permafrost, subsurface ice bodies, rock/ice glaciers, frozen saline lakes, and glacial deposits that occur in the Dry Valleys and that have direct relevance to future Mars missions.

(click here for detailed project description)

This work is supported by NASA grant NAG5-12693 and the University of Texas at Austin. Data acquisition was supported by NSF grants OPP-9814816 and OPP-9319379.

Our vast surroundings create a desire to explore the unknown.  Driven by our curiosity, we wish to unlock the mysteries of our universe and develop a better understanding of the big picture.  The search for life other than on Earth is one of the more intriguing aspects of exploring the universe.  Life as we know it can only exist in a very small range of conditions, but given that the universe is of an unknown incredible size, respect must be given to the mere possibility that life may exist in areas where we can not detect.

One of the most vital characteristics of the few situations for life is the presence of water.  Life needs water, so to find life or a past presence of life we should “follow the water.”  Forms of water have already been found at certain areas on Mars and even more is expected under the surface.  Already much effort has gone into finding water on Mars with rovers exploring the Martian surface. Learn more about the search for water on Mars.

Mars is just the first step.  There have been thoughts that water may exist on some of the moons of Jupiter and even at the poles of Mercury.  Some of the techniques used to find this water was done by ground penetrating radars.  Most likely these radars will be used to find more water in the universe. Learn more about radar.