The neighborhood is a wild card, and accessing it can be costly. But underground caves are one of the best options for shelter when humans finally reach the Red Planet. These are Rocky Hollows, that’s both the Earth and the Moon and abundant natural buffers against the harsh conditions on Mars.
In a presentation this month at the Geological Society of America’s 2022 Connections meeting in Denver, researchers identified nine leading candidates for caves worthy of future study. All of these caves appear to extend at least a short distance underground, close to landing sites accessible by light rover.
These structures could provide a respite from the challenging Martian environment, said Nicole Barthabilias, a geologist at the University of Arizona. “Everything on the surface is exposed to intense radiation, most likely a meteor or a small meteorite bombardment and very large changes in temperature from day to day.”
To move into her home in the most desirable estate on Mars, Mrs. Barthapelias and colleagues consulted. List of candidates for the global caves of Mars. This compilation is based on images collected by instruments on board the Mars Odyssey spacecraft and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, over 1,000 candidate caves and other peculiar features on Mars. (Think of it as a multiple menu service on First Tuesdays.)