Mars' Hidden Ocean: Groundwater Discovery Sparks Hope

NASA's analysis reveals Mars' crust holds enough groundwater to form oceans. While extraction for a future colony isn't feasible due to depth, the findings indicate Mars retains significant water. This discovery offers insights into the planet's climatological history and potential habitability.

An analysis of data collected by NASA suggests that the crust of Mars contains enough groundwater to form oceans on the planet's surface.

However, the water is located several kilometers below the surface, making extraction impractical for future Mars colonies, researchers noted.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that Mars' groundwater can cover the entire planet -- half the size of Earth -- to a depth of up to two kilometers. This finding is promising news for scientists tracking the fate of water on Mars after its oceans disappeared over three billion years ago.

Researchers, including those from the University of California, Berkeley, believe Mars lost its water to space following the collapse of its magnetic field and the subsequent destruction of its atmosphere by solar winds.

The study offers the best evidence so far that Mars still contains liquid water in addition to the frozen water at its poles. Despite being stored in tiny cracks and pores in rocks deep within the crust, this water reservoir would be challenging to exploit for a future colony.

Drilling a hole a kilometer deep is a significant challenge even on Earth, the researchers pointed out. Michael Manga, UC Berkeley professor and study author, emphasized that understanding the existence of this reservoir offers clues about Mars' past and potential future climate. Manga also noted the importance of water for life, hinting at the possibility of habitable environments similar to those found in Earth's deep mines and ocean floors.

The 'Insight' lander, sent by NASA in 2018, provided the seismic data crucial for this analysis. The mission, which ended in 2022, helped researchers determine that while the frozen water at Mars' poles does not account for all the planet's lost water, groundwater remains a key element of its history.

Evidence such as river channels, deltas, and lake deposits supports the theory that water once flowed on Mars' surface. However, this period ended more than three billion years ago when the planet's atmosphere was stripped away.

(With inputs from agencies.)