Equipped with the InSight seismometer, the lander has been recording vibrations — so-called marsquakes — from deep within the planet for four years. Analysis of these vibrations has revealed seismic signals that suggest the presence of liquid water. This is a first for Mars, where until now only frozen water has been found at the poles and water vapor in the atmosphere.
The research findings, published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are the result of the InSight mission, which ended in December 2022. During the mission, the lander recorded more than 1,319 “marsquakes.” By measuring the speed of the seismic waves, scientists were able to determine the materials they were traveling through.
“We’re using the same techniques we use to look for water on Earth or to look for oil and gas,” said Professor Michael Manga of the University of California, Berkeley, who co-led the research.
Another Martian Mystery Solved
The analysis showed that the water reservoirs lie about 10 to 20 kilometers deep in the Martian crust. – Understanding the Martian water cycle is key to understanding the evolution of the planet’s climate, surface and interior, says Dr. Fashan Wright of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego.
Water is “the most important molecule shaping the planet’s evolution,” the professor adds. The discovery answers the question of where all the water on Mars went. Studies of the Martian surface, showing ancient rivers and lakes, suggest the planet was much wetter billions of years ago.
However, over the past three billion years, Mars has become a desert. Some of the water was lost to space when the planet lost its atmosphere. The professor and the manga suggest that most of the water, like on Earth, may be below the surface.
InSight was only able to record data directly from the crust beneath its landing site, but scientists speculate that similar reservoirs could exist all over the planet. They estimate that the amount of liquid water could create a layer more than half a mile deep on the Martian surface.
But for billionaires planning to colonize Mars, the location of this water is not good news. – It is stored 10-20 km deep in the Earth’s crust – explains Prof. Manga. “Drilling a hole 10 km deep on Mars – even for Elon Musk – would be difficult,” he adds.
The discovery may also point to new targets in the search for evidence of life on Mars. The manga professor emphasizes that there is no life without liquid water. He concluded by saying: “So if there are habitable environments on Mars, they may be deep underground.”
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