Water Detected on Mars Could Harbor Life 12 Miles Underground

An illustration depicts NASA's InSight mission, sitting on the surface of Mars and using its scientific tools to study the interior of the red planet. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Recent studies have revealed that Mars may harbor substantial amounts of water deep beneath its surface, potentially up to 12 miles (20 kilometers) underground. This discovery suggests that liquid water could exist in the Martian crust, raising the possibility of subsurface environments that might support microbial life.

The findings are based on seismic data collected by NASA's InSight lander, which operated on Mars from 2018 to 2022. By analyzing how seismic waves travel through the Martian interior, scientists identified regions where water is likely present within the planet's crust. These water reservoirs are believed to be distributed across the Martian crust, potentially covering the entire planet to a depth of about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers).

The presence of liquid water beneath the Martian surface is significant because it opens up the possibility of habitable environments existing on Mars today. On Earth, life thrives in subsurface aquifers, and similar conditions on Mars could provide niches where microbial life might exist, even in the absence of surface water.

However, accessing this water is currently beyond our technological capabilities. The depths involved are far greater than those reached by any drilling operations on Earth, and the extreme conditions present challenges for future exploration. Nonetheless, this discovery enhances our understanding of Mars' geology and its potential to support life, guiding future missions that may seek to explore these subsurface environments.

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Source. CNN. "Underground reservoir on Mars could fill oceans on the planet’s surface, study finds." "https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/12/science/mars-crust-water-reservoir-insight/index.html." August 12, 2024.