Thursday, December 12

Mars May Harbor Water Reserves Deep Below Surface, Study Suggests

Recent research indicates that Mars could potentially be saturated with water beneath its surface, concealing significant water reservoirs within the crevices of subterranean rocks.

Released on Monday, the study draws upon seismic data collected by NASA’s Mars InSight rover, which recorded over 1,300 Marsquakes before ceasing operations two years ago.

Lead researcher Vashan Wright from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, suggests that this water, presumed to be situated 7 to 12 miles (11.5 to 20 kilometers) below Mars’ crust, likely emanated from the planet’s surface billions of years ago during its era of rivers, lakes, streams, and possibly oceans.

While the presence of water within Mars doesn’t guarantee the existence of life, Wright underscores that the findings imply the potential for habitable environments rather than direct evidence of life.

By amalgamating computer simulations with InSight seismic data, particularly earthquake velocities, the researchers deduced that groundwater stands as the most plausible explanation. Their findings were published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Wright speculates that if the groundwater detected near Mars’ equator at InSight’s Elysium Planitia site mirrors conditions across the planet, the groundwater reserves could be substantial enough to form a planetary ocean one to two kilometers deep or even more.

To confirm the presence of water and explore potential signs of microbial life, future missions equipped with drills and specialized tools would be necessary.

Despite the cessation of InSight’s operations, scientists are diligently examining data collected between 2018 and 2022 to glean further insights into Mars’ interior composition.

Mars, presumed to have been predominantly wet over 3 billion years ago, is believed to have lost its surface water as its atmosphere diminished, transforming into the arid, dusty celestial body we recognize today. Scientists theorize that much of the ancient water either evaporated into space or became trapped beneath the planet’s surface.