Researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) have found that Ladakh's hot springs could help trace origins of life on Earth and Mars. The researchers studied travertine, a calcium carbonate deposit, from Puga and used geochemical tools to examine the samples. The tests conducted include GC-MS-MS, microscopy, Raman, IR, XRD and isotope analysis.