Current water trapping micro-habitats on the surface of Mars
Abstract
This paper presents a conceptual model exploring how liquid water could be maintained in direct contact with hypothetical microorganisms during warm daytime periods on Mars. Hygroscopic surface salts (e.g., NaCl, CaCl2, Ca(ClO4)2, gypsum, MgSO4) can absorb water vapor and form liquid solutions; however, daytime exposure normally causes rapid drying. We propose a mechanism where diurnal temperature fluctuations drive thermal expansion and contraction cycles that open and close micro-cracks in salt crystals. Nighttime-condensed deliquescent liquid penetrates these fractures, which then partially close during warmer daytime hours, trapping liquid water inside and preventing immediate evaporation. Thermally induced volume changes (ranging from ~0.5-0.9% in crystalline phases up to several percent in concentrated solutions) support the feasibility of this cyclic aperture dynamic. Modeling deliquescence and salt distribution indicates that nighttime microscopic liquid can form for ~100-130 sols per Martian year near Acidalia Planitia. At depths of 2-3 mm within soil or salt structures, hypothetical microorganisms would gain partial UV shielding while retaining access to visible light. Overall, internal crystal micro-fractures may offer transient daytime liquid microenvironments, highlighting these locations as potential candidate habitats for photosynthetic life on modern Mars.This study serves as a conceptual feasibility analysis for near-surface brine retention within hygroscopic salt structures under present-day Martian conditions.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{bognar2026current,
title = {{Current water trapping micro-habitats on the surface of Mars}},
author = {Anna Bognar and Bernadett D. Pal and Akos Kereszturi},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.01156},
eprint = {2609.01156},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.01156},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Current water trapping micro-habitats on the surface of Mars
AU - Anna Bognar
AU - Bernadett D. Pal
AU - Akos Kereszturi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.01156
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.01156
AB - This paper presents a conceptual model exploring how liquid water could be maintained in direct contact with hypothetical microorganisms during warm daytime periods on Mars. Hygroscopic surface salts (e.g., NaCl, CaCl_2, Ca(ClO_4)_2, gypsum, MgSO_4) can absorb water vapor and form liquid solutions; however, daytime exposure normally causes rapid drying. We propose a mechanism where diurnal temperature fluctuations drive thermal expansion and contraction cycles that open and close micro-cracks in salt crystals. Nighttime-condensed deliquescent liquid penetrates these fractures, which then partially close during warmer daytime hours, trapping liquid water inside and preventing immediate evaporation. Thermally induced volume changes (ranging from ~0.5-0.9% in crystalline phases up to several percent in concentrated solutions) support the feasibility of this cyclic aperture dynamic. Modeling deliquescence and salt distribution indicates that nighttime microscopic liquid can form for ~100-130 sols per Martian year near Acidalia Planitia. At depths of 2-3 mm within soil or salt structures, hypothetical microorganisms would gain partial UV shielding while retaining access to visible light. Overall, internal crystal micro-fractures may offer transient daytime liquid microenvironments, highlighting these locations as potential candidate habitats for photosynthetic life on modern Mars.This study serves as a conceptual feasibility analysis for near-surface brine retention within hygroscopic salt structures under present-day Martian conditions.
ER -