A recent study from Rice University researchers has unveiled a mechanism by which ancient lakes on Mars could have sustained liquid water for decades, even as the Red Planet experienced freezing conditions around 3.6 billion years ago. The research, published in *AGU Advances* on December 29, 2025, proposes that thin, seasonal layers of ice formed on the surface of these lakes, acting as insulating 'shields' or 'natural blankets'. This ice cover significantly reduced heat loss and evaporation, while being thin enough to allow some sunlight to penetrate and warm the water during warmer periods. This finding helps resolve a long-standing paradox in Martian science: the abundant geological evidence of ancient rivers, lakes, and oceans coexisting with climate models that suggest early Mars was largely too cold to support stable surface liquid water. The team developed a climate model named Lake Modeling on Mars with Atmospheric Reconstructions and Simulations (LakeM2ARS), which was specifically adapted for Martian conditions, incorporating data collected by NASA's Curiosity rover in Gale Crater. The simulations showed that these lakes could persist with minimal depth changes for at least decades, supporting the idea that Mars did not require consistently warm periods to harbor liquid water. Moreover, the ephemeral nature of these thin, seasonal ice layers explains why Mars rovers have not found clear evidence of thick, perennial ice sheets or glaciers in ancient lake basins. This research offers a new perspective on Mars' past habitability, suggesting that even a cold early Mars could have sustained environments suitable for life.