Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)-- A team of researchers from the American Planetary Research Institute (PSI) have studied Mercury in depth and believe that traces of salt glaciers have been found in Laditradi crater and Eminescu crater around Mercury's north pole, speculating that there may be life beneath Mercury's hot surface.

Mercury has always been known for its extreme temperatures and desolate landscapes, but it turns out that it is more than just a rocky desert. The recent discovery of salt glaciers at both ends of the polar regions has lit up a beacon of hope for a potentially livable extraterrestrial environment.

The researchers speculate that the salt deposits are formed by volcanic activity, which brings water to the surface. These substances evaporate or infiltrate into the soil, leaving layers of salt and clay minerals.

This theory shows that in ancient times, Mercury may have very different conditions, such as liquid water or supercritical steam.

"referring to some salt compounds on Earth, even in harsh environments such as the Atacama Desert in Chile, can create conditions for life, so there may be life under Mercury," said Brian Travis, co-author of the paper.

The discovery challenges the long-held belief that Mercury lacks volatiles and strengthens the understanding of VRLs, which is potentially hidden deep on the Earth's surface.

CTOnews.com attached the reference address of the paper: Mercury's Surface Response to the Interplanetary Environment: Identifying Needed Studies in Laboratory Astrophysics,Citation J. Alexis P. Rodriguez et al 2023 Planet. Sci. J. 4 219,DOI 10.3847/PSJ/acf219

Welcome to subscribe "Shulou Technology Information " to get latest news, interesting things and hot topics in the IT industry, and controls the hottest and latest Internet news, technology news and IT industry trends.