Mars' Surface Has Structural Features That Serves as Natural Shelter to Protect Explorers from Radiation

Mars is abundant in many objects we are aware familiar like minerals and gases. Along with it, there are several elements we are yet to discover. Aside from properties, we may find helpful in understanding the planet, there are some harmful compositions present on Mars. One of them is radiation.

Radiation in Mars

Radiation has swarmed the surface of the Martian planet because of the lack of a magnetic field. Without a protective cloak similar to our planet's atmosphere, Mars has been a free lounge for space radiation to visit and even stay. According to ScienceAlert, radiation on Mars is among the important reasons why several drones and rovers are tasked to examine the red planet instead of manned missions.

Humans are vulnerable to radiation. Once exposed, it could bring severe conditions that may lead to long-term illness and possibly, death. There are no biological or natural mechanisms for astronomers to cover themselves from the deadly radiation. However, numerous studies are now attempting to develop any sort of technology that could be used to protect human lives away in space from high-energy particles. One recent study shows that there are indeed natural shelters that could be the solution to the near-unsolvable astronomical conundrum.

A team of experts has conducted a collaborative study regarding the matter. Hailing from prestigious universities, the experts utilized the data gathered from Mars Science Laboratory together with the findings of the rover Curiosity. According to the information, some patches of land on the red planet's surface are indeed safe from radiation. These land formations are able to cover some areas of the surface, hiding them from the cosmic threat. University of Science and Technology of China, CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, and Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics in Germany's Christian-Albrechts-University expert Jingnan Guo lead the study.

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Natural Shelter in the Martian Surface

MSL Curiosity's first touchdown on Mars took place back in 2012. This astronomical milestone was a remarkable success in the study of the Martian sphere. On its trip to Mars, MSL Curiosity had the Radiation Assessment Detector or RAD as equipment that will accompany the rover in one of its specific examinations.

RAD is a specialized instrument for identifying the properties of Mars. Among the key interest of RAD is to balance whether the conditions of the planet is safe relative to the required living situations of humans from Earth. Some of its abilities include detecting the harmful high-energy particles of radiation present on Mars which have originated whether from our sun or other potential sources. The measurement also includes how hazardous these radiations could be if exposed to humans and other biological lifeforms.

The overall complexity of the study is an effort to provide the experts, especially astronomers, a chance to have a better picture of the radiations present on Mars. Based on the study, shelters are a potential solution to the primary needs of experts that will be deployed to the red planet. Further studies will be held regarding the terrains of the Martian surface and their structural features to cover specific spots from radiations. The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, titled "Directionality of the Martian Surface Radiation and Derivation of the Upward Albedo Radiation."