WATER that could cover Mars with a kilometer-deep ocean has been found beneath the red planet’s surface, scientists say.
Evidence of a massive reservoir of liquid water offers new hope for discovering proof of alien life on Mars.
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The discovery was made through monitoring seismic activity on the red planet – all collected by NASA’s InSight probe.
Scientists have long believed that Mars had vast oceans of water billions of years ago – now gone from the surface.
Some of Mars’ water is trapped in ice, including polar permafrost.
Now, scientists say seismic data suggests there is a huge amount of water in the fissures and pores of deep underground rocks.
The bad news it’s just that it’s so deep that human colonists are unlikely to be able to tap into it.
It is estimated to be between 11.5 and 20 kilometers below the surface, or about seven to 19 kilometers deep.
This means that it will not be able to function as a source of water for anyone establishing long-term bases on the red planet.
But the discovery could give us a better idea of Mars’ ancient history – and how it will change in the future. future.
“Understanding the Martian water cycle is critical to understanding the evolution of climate, the surface and the interior,” said Vashan Wright, assistant professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
“A useful starting point is to identify where the water is and how much there is.”
Importantly, the discovery could help scientists in their ongoing search for evidence of alien life.
Liquid water is necessary for life – at least as we know it – so it’s possible that extraterrestrial organisms live in these deep parts of Mars.
“Establishing that there is a large reservoir of liquid water provides a window into what the climate was or could be like,” said Michael Manga, professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Berkeley.
“And water is necessary for life as we know it. I don’t see why [the underground reservoir] It is not a habitable environment.
HOW WAS WATER ON MARS FOUND?
See how scientists discovered the hidden reservoir of liquid water on Mars…
Enough water to cover Mars with a kilometer-deep ocean has been found on Mars.
This was possible using data on seismic activity collected by NASA’s InSight probe.
The probe was active on Mars from 2018 to 2022.
Scientists created a rock physics model – just like the one used on Earth to map underground water and oil.
And he applied that to data from the InSight probe to see if he could find water on the red planet.
The researchers found that the data is “best explained” by a deep layer of “fractured igneous rock saturated with liquid water.”
Scientists knew that Mars had running water on the surface, but it disappeared 3 billion years ago, when the planet lost its atmosphere.
Frozen water in polar ice caps can’t explain everything, which is why this study is important.
“It’s certainly true on Earth – deep mines host life, the ocean floor hosts life.
“We haven’t found any evidence of life on Mars, but at least we’ve identified a place that should, in principle, be capable of supporting life.”
NASA sent its InSight lander to Mars in May 2018.
The task was to investigate the crust, mantle, core and atmosphere of the red planet.
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Eventually, the probe’s solar panels were covered in dust, preventing it from recharging.
The lander was placed in low-power mode to detect these seismic events in mid-2022, before ending its mission in December of the same year.
NASA declared that all communications between InSight and Earth were lost on December 15, 2022.
And the official end date of the mission was December 21, 2022.
Facts about Mars
Here’s what you need to know about the red planet…
- Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun
- It is named after the Roman god of war
- Mars’ landmass is very similar to Earth’s, but due to the difference in gravity, you could jump three times as high there as you can here.
- Mars is mountainous and is home to the highest known mountain in the Solar System, called Olympus Mons, which is three times taller than Everest.
- Mars is considered the second most habitable planet after Earth
- The planet takes 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun
- The planet has a diameter of 4,212 miles and an average distance from Earth of 140 million miles.
- Martian temperatures can vary enormously, reaching as high as 70F/20C or as low as -225F/-153C
Despite being active on Mars for just over four years, InSight has collected a huge trove of data that is still used for discovery today.
“The mission greatly exceeded my expectations,” explained Manga.
“By looking at all the seismic data that Insight collected, they discovered the thickness of the crust, the depth of the core, the composition of the core, and even a little bit about the temperature within the mantle.”
The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
