Mars May Have Underground Water Reserves

Data from NASA's retired InSight mission has unveiled a significant underground reservoir of water beneath Mars' surface, potentially enough to fill oceans. This discovery, made by a team of scientists analyzing seismic data collected between 2018 and 2022, sheds light on the planet's geological history and opens new avenues in the search for extraterrestrial life. The findings suggest that water is trapped in the cracks and pores of the Martian crust, indicating a previously unrecognized source of water on the planet. Despite the presence of ice at Mars' polar caps, researchers believe this does not account for all the planet's "lost" water. Various theories have emerged regarding the fate of Martian water after the planet lost its atmosphere, including the possibilities of it becoming ice, escaping into space, or being absorbed into minerals and deep aquifers. The InSight lander's seismometer detected over 1,300 marsquakes, allowing scientists to analyze the speed of seismic waves and infer the composition of the Martian subsurface. The data suggests a deep layer of igneous rock filled with liquid water, which could provide insights into Mars' climate history. While the research does not confirm the existence of life, it raises the possibility that the wet Martian crust could support microbial life, similar to deep groundwater on Earth. The study's coauthor, Michael Manga, emphasized the importance of this discovery in understanding Mars' climate and potential habitability. Further investigations across Mars could enhance our understanding of the planet's complex geological history, as the current data is limited to the InSight mission's findings. Expanding the seismic network could reveal more about the variations within Mars' interior and its potential for supporting life.