Vast Reservoirs of Liquid Water Discovered Deep Beneath Mars – But There's a Twist
New research reveals hidden water on Mars that could reshape our understanding of the planet, but further investigation is needed before jumping to conclusions.
There are literal oceans' worth of liquid water hiding out on Mars. There's just one big problem. That water is actually in Mars, at depths that are too far below the surface for us to access.
According to scientists, there are oceans on Mars but they are so deep below the surface that scientists cannot reach them.
Does this mean that there’s life on Mars? Maybe beneath the surface?
According to fresh analytic data from the Mars Insight lander, there must be large pools of water buried deep underground on Mars.
Comprehending the martian water cycle is vital for understanding climate development on the planet says geophysicist Vashan Wright of the University of California.
The goal is to establish the existence of water and the quantity of the water.
As robotic rovers explore Mars, gathering information about its surface, mounting evidence points to the red planet once being rich in water. The discovery of specific minerals, landforms, and structures like dried-up lakes and deltas strongly indicates that Mars was once a water-filled world.
Mars still holds water today, but it’s mostly locked in ice just beneath the surface and in quantities far too small to explain the planet's wet past. To unravel Mars' water history, it’s essential to figure out where all that water went billions of years ago.
There are two possible destinations: the water could have escaped into space as vapor, or it might have seeped into the planet’s interior, becoming trapped as ice or hidden in underground reservoirs. While measuring how much water escaped into space remains difficult, we now have the tools to explore what lies deep within Mars' crust.
This progress is due to the Mars InSight lander. Although it’s no longer active, from November 2018 to December 2022, it sat quietly on the Martian surface, much like a steadfast turtle, listening to the subtle tremors and vibrations beneath the ground.
Seismic waves generated by internal planetary activity vary depending on the density and makeup of the material they travel through. By studying these wave patterns, scientists can deduce the properties and composition of Mars’ interior layers.
The scientists adapted a geophysical model commonly used to map aquifers and oil reserves on Earth and applied it to data gathered by the InSight mission on Mars. Their analysis suggests that beneath the Martian surface is a layer of fractured igneous rock, possibly granite, with cracks containing liquid water.
"Identifying a significant underground reservoir of liquid water offers insights into Mars' past or potential future climate," says Michael Manga, a geophysicist at the University of California, Berkeley.
"Water is essential for life as we know it. There’s no reason to think that this underground reservoir couldn’t support life. On Earth, life thrives in deep mines and at the bottom of the ocean. While we haven’t yet found signs of life on Mars, this discovery points to a location that could theoretically sustain it."
Mars has remained elusive about its water reserves. Previous studies hinted at underground water, only for doubts to surface later. Data from InSight has shown limited water ice near the lander’s location in the upper crust.
However, if the water-rich layer detected deeper beneath Mars is widespread, researchers estimate it could hold enough water to fill ancient Martian oceans and more.
That said, these findings remain tentative. To fully understand what lies beneath Mars’ dusty surface, more advanced tools and deeper analysis are needed. Perhaps it’s time to deploy a new seismometer?
Have you ever thought about life on Mars? Or any other planets? I think about this regularly, because believe it or not, there are probably living beings on other planets.
What do you think?
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Edina Jackson-Yussif
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