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| Groundbreaking Discovery Reveals Abundant Liquid Water Deep Beneath Mars' Surface, But Access Challenges Loom Image credit: Scientific American |
Deep Martian Water Reserves Unveiled by Mars InSight Data
Recent findings from the Mars InSight lander reveal a surprising abundance of liquid water deep within the Martian mid-crust, at depths ranging from 7 to 12 miles. This discovery, led by scientists from the University of California San Diego and UC Berkeley, has significant implications for understanding Mars' water cycle and the planet’s potential for past or extant life.
Liquid Water Confirmed Deep in Mars’ Crust
The discovery was made by analyzing seismological data collected by the now-defunct InSight lander. The researchers, in a paper published yesterday, explain that the presence of liquid water was inferred by examining how seismic waves moved through Mars' crust and matching this data with rock physics models. The conclusion: a mid-crust composed of fractured igneous rocks saturated with liquid water best explains the observed data.
Implications for Mars’ Water Cycle and Future Exploration
This new evidence of liquid water completes the picture of Mars' water cycle. According to Michael Manga, coauthor and professor at UC Berkeley, "Finding present-day liquid water in the form of groundwater in the crust completes a picture of Mars' water cycle." Manga suggests that while much of Mars' surface water was lost along with its atmosphere, a significant portion may have retreated underground, connected to the surface through rivers and lakes during Mars' early history.
The Challenge of Accessing Deep Martian Water
Despite the exciting discovery, accessing this water poses a significant challenge. The water is located at depths of 7 to 12 miles beneath the surface, far deeper than what current drilling technology can achieve. Manga pointed out that drilling such deep holes on Earth requires substantial infrastructure and energy, and similar efforts on Mars would be exponentially more difficult. The deepest hole ever drilled on Earth, the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, reached just 7.5 miles and took 20 years to complete.
Alternative Strategies for Water Extraction on Mars
Given the depth of the water, Manga suggests that instead of drilling, future missions might explore areas of geological activity, like the tectonically active Cerberus Fossae, where water could be expelled closer to the surface. However, this approach relies on the assumption that InSight's findings are representative of broader Martian conditions, which is yet to be confirmed.
Looking Ahead: The Need for More Seismic Data
To validate these findings and explore their implications further, Manga advocates for the deployment of additional seismometers on Mars, as well as similar studies on other ocean worlds like Enceladus and Europa. He also emphasized the importance of advancing the Mars Sample Return mission, which could offer more direct insights into the history and distribution of groundwater on Mars.
Understanding Mars’ Water History
"The groundwater we see [on Mars] is a record of that past," Manga stated. "We need to work on understanding that history: what, where, when, and how." This discovery not only sheds light on Mars' ancient climate but also informs future exploration strategies as we continue to search for signs of life and resources on the Red Planet.
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