Scientists Uncover Ocean-Sized Reservoir of Liquid Water on Mars – Could It Support Alien Life?

A groundbreaking study has revealed an immense reservoir of liquid water buried beneath the surface of Mars, with enough volume to cover the entire planet in an ocean over a mile deep. This discovery, made by a team from the University of California, Berkeley, and UC San Diego, was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The finding adds new fuel to the ongoing debate about whether Mars could harbor extraterrestrial life, as it shows that the Red Planet may still have the necessary conditions to support organisms.

The researchers used seismic data gathered by NASA's InSight lander, which recorded information from quakes, volcanic activity, and meteor impacts. This data allowed them to detect water trapped in tiny fractures and pores about 11.5-20 kilometers below the Martian surface. Using rock physics models similar to those used on Earth to locate underground aquifers and oil fields, the scientists identified a hidden water reservoir. While this underground water is beyond the reach of current technology, the discovery provides important insights into Mars' history and its potential for supporting life.

Professor Michael Manga, a Berkeley Earth and planetary science expert and one of the study’s authors, believes that these deep subsurface environments on Mars could potentially support life. "We haven't found any evidence for life on Mars, but at least we have identified a place that should, in principle, be able to sustain life," he said. This raises the possibility that Mars may still have sites capable of hosting microbial life, despite its current arid state.

Though Mars is a dry planet today, evidence of past liquid water—through ancient river valleys and lake bottoms—suggests that the planet once had substantial water on its surface. The discovery of this underground water reservoir implies that much of Mars' ancient water may not have been lost to space but instead may have been absorbed into the planet's crust. This finding provides a more complex understanding of Mars' watery past and its evolution.

However, the research does come with some uncertainties. Studying a planet’s historical water reserves involves many assumptions, especially about whether Martian rock physics is similar to Earth's. While the data indicates a water-saturated mid-crust, the exact volume and depth of the reservoir remain speculative, highlighting the challenges in planetary science and the difficulty in accurately mapping such hidden resources.

Vashan Wright, a coauthor and professor at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, emphasized the importance of these findings: "Understanding the Martian water cycle is central to understanding the evolution of the planet, its surface, and its climate." By learning where and how much water exists, scientists can begin to piece together Mars' intricate geological and climatic history.

To put the depth of this underground water into perspective, the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, the deepest hole ever drilled on Earth, reaches a depth of 12,262 meters. This is still shallow compared to the estimated depth of Mars' underground water reservoir, underscoring the technological challenges of exploring such depths. Future missions will need significant advances in drilling technology to access these resources.

In conclusion, while current technology prevents us from reaching this water reservoir, this discovery adds vital information to our understanding of Mars' potential for supporting life. As scientists continue to explore the planet, findings like these will deepen our knowledge of Mars' mysterious past and its potential for future exploration.