Regional context and geospatial distribution of potential karstic skylight features in Hebrus Valles, Mars. Credit: The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae0f1c
If there is, or ever has been, life on Mars, the chances are it would exist in caves protected from the severe dust storms, extreme temperatures, and high radiation present on its surface. One place to focus our attention could be eight possible cave sites (called skylights) recently discovered by Chenyu Ding at Shenzhen University in China, and colleagues.
Cave discovery
In a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the team presents the first evidence of a new type of cave on the red planet, formed by water dissolving rock. Most Martian caves discovered so far have been lava tubes, but the study authors argue that they have identified the first documented karstic caves on Mars.
“These skylights are interpreted as the first known potential karstic caves on Mars, representing collapse entrances formed through the dissolution of water-soluble lithologies—defining a new cave-forming class distinct from all previously reported volcanic and tectonic skylights,” wrote the researchers.
On Earth, karstic caves are typically formed when water dissolves soluble rock such as limestone or gypsum, creating and enlarging underground cracks and fractures that grow large enough to become caves. The paper proposes a similar process on Mars, where ancient Martian water may have dissolved carbonate- and sulfate-rich rocks on the crust.
The caves are located in the Hebrus Valles, a northwestern region, and are eight pits that were mapped by previous Mars missions. They are deep and predominantly circular depressions, not impact craters, which typically have raised rims and ejected debris around them.
Conceptual model illustrating water-driven karstic cave development and subsurface habitability potential in Hebrus Valles, Mars. Credit: The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae0f1c
The researchers studied data from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) that was onboard NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor and discovered that the rocks around the pits are rich in carbonates and sulfates. These are the types of rocks that water can easily dissolve. The team also used high-resolution imagery to create 3D structural models of the pits, which showed that their shapes are consistent with collapse caused by water rather than volcanic or tectonic activity.
Targets for future missions
The search for life on Mars feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. But it could be narrowed down and made easier by having well-defined targets that, more than others, could be possible homes for life.
Therefore, the scientists behind this latest study believe the eight possible karstic caves should be high-priority targets for future human or robotic missions to the planet. Even if no life is there, they could serve as landing sites and natural shelters for astronauts when they are not exploring the surface.
Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive.
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More information:
Ravi Sharma et al, Water-driven Accessible Potential Karstic Caves in Hebrus Valles, Mars: Implications for Subsurface Habitability, The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae0f1c
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Scientists discover caves carved by water on Mars that may have once harbored life (2025, November 12)
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