re: Martian snow could protect life
Well that wasn't exactly rocket science.
What the author tells us is that hypothetic martian microbes might be able to escape the hostile radiation environment on the surface if buried under snow. Not exactly surprising.
But in doing so, the author admits that the surface environment of Mars is essentially hostile to life. In otherwords, martian microbes have to be buried at least several inches under the snow in order to survive.
Thanks for sharing that one.