Scientists identify vast underground water reservoir on Mars
Date
8/13/2024 8:46:13 AM
(MENAFN) In a groundbreaking revelation, scientists have identified a vast underground water reservoir on Mars, which could potentially fill oceans on the planet's surface. This significant discovery, detailed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, suggests that water is stored within tiny cracks and pores beneath the Martian crust, located 7 to 12 miles below the surface. The finding offers new perspectives on the presence of water on Mars and its implications for the planet's history and future exploration.
Lead study author Vashan Wright, a geophysicist at the University of California, San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, highlighted the importance of this discovery in understanding the Martian water cycle. In a statement, Wright emphasized, "Understanding the Martian water cycle is critical for understanding the evolution of the climate, surface, and interior. A useful starting point is to identify where water is and how much is there." The research team utilized seismic data from NASA’s InSight lander, which operated between 2018 and 2022, to detect water-rich layers within Mars' deep crust.
Michael Manga, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-author of the study, discussed the broader implications of this discovery in an interview with the BBC. Manga pointed out that the existence of such a substantial liquid water reservoir provides crucial insights into Mars' climate, both past and potential future. He further added, "And water is necessary for life as we know it. I don’t see why [the underground reservoir] is not a habitable environment," suggesting that these subsurface aquifers could potentially support life.
Alberto Fairen, a planetary scientist at Cornell University, also commented on the discovery, noting its significance for our understanding of water on Mars. According to Fairen, "These new results demonstrate that liquid water does exist in the Martian subsurface today, not in the form of discrete and isolated lakes, but as liquid water-saturated sediments, or aquifers." While the discovery opens new avenues for exploring Mars' habitability, it also presents substantial challenges in accessing this deeply buried water. Nonetheless, the findings mark a significant step forward in unraveling the mysteries of the Red Planet.
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