Latest News

Martian subsurface harbours oceans of life-giving liquid water

A research study launched Monday utilizing information from NASA's Mars InSight lander shows evidence of liquid water far below the surface of the fourth planet, advancing the search for life there and revealing what might have happened to Mars' ancient oceans.

The lander, which has actually been on the Red World considering that 2018, measured seismic information over four years, analyzing how quakes shook the ground and identifying what materials or substances were underneath the surface.

Based upon that information, the researchers found liquid water was most likely present deep beneath the lander. Water is considered essential for life, and geological studies show the world's. surface had lakes, rivers and oceans more than 3 billion years. ago.

In the world what we know is where it is wet enough and there. are enough sources of energy, there is microbial life extremely deep. in Earth's subsurface, said among the authors, Vashan Wright. of the University of California San Diego's Scripps Organization. of Oceanography. The active ingredients for life as we know it exist. in the Martian subsurface if these interpretations are right.

The study discovered that big reservoirs of liquid water in. fractures 11.5 kilometres (7.15 miles) to 20km beneath the. surface best described the InSight measurements.

It notes that the volume of liquid water predicted beneath. the surface area is more than the water volumes proposed to have. filled hypothesized ancient Martian oceans.

In the world, groundwater infiltrated from the surface area to deep. underground, Wright stated. We expect this procedure to have. took place on Mars as well when the upper crust was warmer than it. is today.

There is no chance to straight study water that deep beneath. the surface of Mars, however the authors said the results have. implications for understanding Mars' water cycle, identifying. the fates of past surface water, searching for previous or extant. life, and examining in situ resource usage for future. objectives.

The research study, whose other authors are Matthias Morzfeld of the. Scripps Organization of Oceanography and Michael Manga of the. University of California Berkeley, was released the week of. Aug. 12 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of. Sciences.

I'm inspired and I hope the public is likewise motivated,. Wright stated. Human beings can work together to put instruments on a. world ... and try to understand what's going on there.

(source: Reuters)