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NASA found evidence of Mars water leakage into space – but new studies hints that they may have gone deep, deep underground. | Credit: Nasa Godard
May have liquid water in a hidden ocean of the ocean below the surface of MarsThey suggest seismic evidence.
According to a new book published on April 25 in the magazine National science reviewSephas of seismic waves from deep in the red planet indicate that a layer of liquid water can be lurred in the Martian rocks between 3.4 and 5 miles [5.4 to 8 kilometers] below the surface.
The total volume of hidden water can flood the entire surface of Mars with an ocean of 1700 to 2560 feet [520 to 780 metres] Deep, around the same volume of fluid contained in the ice sheet of Antarctica, the authors of the study calculated.
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Our neighboring planet was once plentiful in water. Over the time between Mars formation 4.1 billion years ago to about 3 billion years ago, it is believed that the Red Planet is extremely wet, with features such as Valley Networks, Delta Formations and layered sediments suggesting resistant water flowS
However, this abundant liquid water “when the planet passed to become the cold, dry environment we see today,” paper for paper Hrvoje tkalčićProfessor of Geophysics at the Australian National University, He said in a statement.
Over time, Mars lost its magnetic field and solar radiation began to take away its atmosphere. With a smaller atmosphere, the surface temperatures dropped; The liquid water on the planet began to escape into space, trapped like ice like ice in underground or polar hats, or locked in hydrated minerals in the planet frame, researchers said.
However, these methods of water loss have Early shown In order not to fully take into account all the water that is calculated that it has once flowed on the Red Planet, with a large volume of “missing” water that is irrelevant. This puzzle has long puzzled scientists, asking whether there is still liquid water hidden on Mars, which we are yet to find.
The running water carved the huge canyons of Mars before they disappeared billions of years ago. New research suggests that much of it may be trapped underground. | Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. Arizona
This new study suggests that there is indeed liquid water buried deep below the surface of the planet. In analyzing seismic data from NASA Lander, which landed on Mars in 2018Researchers find that seismic waves inside the planet – caused by asteroid effects and Marsquakes in 2021 and 2022 – seem to be delayed between 3.4 and 5 miles [5.4 to 8 kilometers] below the surface. They suggest that this may be due to the presence of liquid water hidden in porous rocks, such as seismic waves Travel more slowly through liquid than through solid materials.
“This” low-speed layer “is most likely a highly porous rock filled with liquid water, such as a saturated sponge, tkalčić and another co-author study WidgetProfessor of Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained in An essay about the conversation about the new study. “Something like earth aquifers where groundwater penetrates rock pores.”
Researchers suggest that this liquid water can draw up the total volume of water missing from previous calculations.
“Our study shows that much of this ancient water may penetrate through the porous surface rocks and be held underground,” Tkalčić said. “This also corresponds to the evaluations of Mars'” missing “water from other studies.”
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Previous studies have also found that under Martian surface in icy formand a A study of 2024 It suggested that liquid water could be stored in rocks between 7 and 13 miles (11.2 to 21 km) below the surface.
The potential presence of Mars liquid water is exciting for scientists, since liquid water is essential to life as we know it. While these potential tanks deep below the surface of the planet can host some form of Martian life, we will not know if liquid water even exists until we can break deep into Mars and find it ourselves.
“Future missions with seismometers and training are necessary to confirm the presence of water at these depths and to gather more clues,” said Tkalčić.