Scientists have found evidence that there are huge amounts of water on Mars. Researchers theorize that this is a sign that there may be extraterrestrial life on the Red Planet.

KEY FACTS 

• Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, San Diego have found evidence of large amounts of water deep below the surface of Mars, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• The researchers used seismic data from Martian earthquakes, volcanic tremors and meteorite impacts collected by NASA’s InSight lander. Also used are the mathematical models of rock physics that are used to map underground aquifers and oil deposits on Earth.
• The water is believed to be between 11.5 and 20 km below the Red Planet’s surface and probably cannot be accessed using currently existing technologies. 
• However, the researchers say the discovery reveals important details about the history of Mars.

IMPORTANT QUOTE

“Large amounts of water existed on the surface of Mars more than 3 billion years ago. Much of this water is thought to have been trapped in subsurface layers or lost to space. Our results have implications for understanding the Martian water cycle, determining the fate of surface water in the past, searching for past or existing life, and assessing resource utilization for future missions,” the study states.

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WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WATER ON MARS

Although Mars is a desert planet today, there is plenty of evidence that there was once plenty of water on the Red Planet’s surface. Most of these claims are supported by studies of the structure of the planet’s surface, where traces of rivers, oceans, and lakes are visible. The composition of the minerals found there also suggests the former presence of water. 

Some water is still found on the surface of Mars – largely locked in minerals in the planet’s crust or frozen in the polar ice caps – but this is only a small fraction of the water that scientists believe flowed to the surface billions of years ago.

Although many scientists believe that Mars’ oceans evaporated into space when the planet lost its atmosphere more than 3 billion years ago, the researchers say their findings show that much of the water was filtered into the crust.

THE BIG NUMBER 

12,262 meters. That’s how deep the Kola ultra-deep borehole is, which is located in Northwestern Russia. It is the deepest man-made hole on Earth. According to the study, this may be the lower limit for the depth of water on Mars. Drilling was halted in the early 1990s and the record has yet to be broken, highlighting the technical challenges.