Scientists believe that Mars’ crust could hold vast amounts of water. An aborted NASA mission has discovered signs of significant underground water reserves on the Red Planet, a recent study suggests. The water could potentially be enough to form oceans if it were on the surface, CNN reported.
The study mentions that astronauts trying to reach Mars may have difficulty accessing the trapped water because it is buried deep beneath the surface, at a depth of 11.5 to 20 kilometers. This discovery not only reveals more about Mars’ geological past, but also points to a potential new place where life can be found, assuming the water can be reached.
The findings are based on data from NASA’s InSight probe, which studied the interior of Mars from 2018 to 2022.
Lead study author Vashan Wright stressed that understanding Mars’ water cycle is critical to understanding changes in the planet’s climate, surface and interior. The University of California geophysicist suggests that a good first step is to locate and measure the amount of water present, CNN reported.
Water on Mars
Scientists have long believed that Mars was once a warmer, wetter world. Ancient lakes, rivers, and water-altered rocks are evidence of this. However, over 3 billion years ago, Mars lost its atmosphere, which led to the drying of its surface.
The reason for this loss of atmosphere is still unclear. This has sparked numerous missions to study Mars’ watery past, the fate of its water, and the possibility of life-supporting conditions in its history. While some water remains as ice at the poles, researchers doubt that this represents all the water that once existed on the planet.
Theories about water on Mars suggest that it could have turned to ice, escaped into space, or seeped into the ground. The latest study suggests the water probably entered the planet’s crust.
