Oceans of Water Discovered on Mars
Context:
Planetary scientists have sent numerous probes and landers to Mars to investigate the fate of its water, as the water in the polar ice caps doesn’t fully explain its disappearance.
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- Previous research had indicated that the upper crust, above about 5 kilometres, did not contain water ice, suggesting limited accessible frozen groundwater outside the polar regions.
- Scientists aim to determine when this occurred and whether life ever existed. The new findings suggest that much of Mars’ water didn’t escape into space but instead seeped into the planet’s crust.
Life on Mars Global Mars Missions
Key Highlights:
- The study has found evidence of vast underground reservoirs of liquid water on Mars. It is estimated to contain enough water to cover the entire planet to a depth of 1 to 2 kilometres. Derived from seismic data from NASA’s Insight lander, suggests that these reservoirs are located between 11.5 and 20 kilometres beneath the Martian surface.
- Scientists applied a mathematical model of rock physics, similar to those used on Earth to map aquifers and oil fields, to interpret the data from InSight. The Martian crust contains a deep layer of fractured igneous rock, such as granite, saturated with liquid water.
- This discovery also reinforces the hypothesis that Mars once had liquid water on its surface, supported by evidence such as river channels, deltas, lake deposits, and water-altered rock.
- However, this wet period ended more than 3 billion years ago, when Mars lost its atmosphere and surface water.
Challenges:
- The reservoirs are located deep within the Martian crust, so extracting this water would be a monumental challenge, even with advanced drilling technology.
- Drilling to such depths is extremely difficult and resource-intensive. On Earth, reaching just one kilometre deep presents significant technical obstacles.
Mars Missions Timeline:
- 1965: NASA’s Mariner 4 became the first successful mission to Mars.
- 1970s: NASA’s Viking 1 and 2 were the first to land on Mars and return detailed.
- 1990s: Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Pathfinder missions.
- 2000s: NASA’s Mars Odyssey and the European Space Agency’s Mars Express expanded knowledge of the planet.
- 2010s: NASA’s Curiosity rover and InSight lander contributed valuable scientific data. India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) made India the first country to successfully orbit Mars on its maiden attempt.
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Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)
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Implications:
- While this water is not easily accessible for future Mars colonists, the discovery provides crucial insights into the planet’s geological and climatic history.
- It provides a significant step forward in planetary science and the search for life beyond Earth.
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The InSight lander
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