New Study Suggests a Subsurface Water Reservoir on Mars
A new study released yesterday, Monday, revealed the possibility of a water reservoir beneath the surface of Mars. Researchers estimate that the volume of water, located at a depth of between 11.5 and 20 kilometers, would be sufficient to fill a Martian ocean. They emphasize that “understanding the water cycle on Mars is crucial for understanding the evolution of the planet’s climate, surface, and interior.”
These findings were obtained thanks to data from NASA’s InSight lander, which used a seismometer to explore Mars’ interior between 2018 and 2022.
The lead author of the study, Vashan Wright of the University of California, San Diego, believes that water on Mars’ surface was transiently present more than 3 billion years ago when Mars had rivers, lakes, and oceans.
