New seismic data from NASA’s InSight Lander suggests the existence of a large reservoir of liquid water hidden deep beneath the surface of Mars. While earlier studies had already confirmed the presence of frozen water at the Martian poles and detected water vapor in the atmosphere, this discovery is the first evidence of liquid water on the planet.
Professor Michael Manga from the University of California, Berkeley, highlighted the importance of this discovery in understanding the evolution of planets. In an interview with the BBC, he mentioned that this finding provides an answer to the long-standing question, “Where did all the Martian water go?”
Previous research has shown that ancient Mars had rivers and lakes, indicating that water once flowed across its surface. However, for the past three billion years, Mars has been a barren desert, having lost its water to the Sun after its atmosphere—a crucial protective layer—was stripped away.
Professor Manga also noted that, similar to Earth, a significant portion of Mars’ water might be stored underground. He pointed out that Mars, often referred to as Earth’s twin, could have a comparable subterranean water reservoir.
Since water is essential for life, this discovery opens up the possibility of finding habitable environments deep below the Martian surface.
Studying Mars’ water cycle is vital for understanding the planet’s climate history, its surface changes, and its internal structure.
Although NASA’s InSight mission concluded in December 2022, the lander will continue to record seismic activity on Mars for another four years. So far, it has detected nearly 1,319 quakes. By examining the speed of these seismic waves, scientists have been able to infer the types of materials that likely exist underground. The results of this study have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The methods used in this research are similar to those applied on Earth for locating underground water or searching for oil and gas.