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Recent research has revealed that Mars likely holds enough water to form an ocean a mile deep. However, the catch is that this water is buried too deep beneath the planet’s surface to be easily accessible. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this discovery was made using seismic data collected by NASA’s InSight lander, which monitored tremors on Mars for four years.
Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, and UC San Diego analyzed these seismic waves and identified “seismic signals” of liquid water located between 11.5 and 20 kilometers below the Martian surface. While water vapor and frozen water have previously been detected on Mars, this study marks the first time liquid water has been confirmed beneath the surface.
The significance of this discovery lies not only in the potential for microbial life but also in understanding Mars’ aquatic history. Dr. Vashan Wright from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography emphasized that the amount of water detected could have filled ancient Martian oceans.
Wright’s analysis suggests that fractured rocks in the Martian crust may hold vast quantities of water, enough to create an ocean 1-2 km deep. He noted that this water likely infiltrated the crust when Mars’ surface was warmer, over three billion years ago.
The study highlights that while this deep-buried water is not accessible for human use, it plays a crucial role in understanding the planet’s past and its transition from a once warm and wet environment to the cold, barren landscape we see today.
The findings underscore the importance of continued exploration to unravel Mars’ geological and climatic history. Prof. Michael Manga of the University of California, Berkeley, likened the techniques used to detect this water to those employed on Earth to find groundwater or oil, further showcasing the depth of analysis involved in this groundbreaking discovery.
