In recent years, Mars has been systematically explored in search of signs that could indicate that the red planet hosted life. Although the surface of Mars appears barren and waterless, the same is not true of its interior, where huge ice sheets have been found.
A new radar survey of the Martian equator has revealed what appear to be vast layers of water ice, many kilometers thick. It's the most water ever found in this part of the Red Planet.
According to scientists, the buried water is as much as that in Earth's Red Sea . If it were to surface and melt, it would create a shallow ocean between 1.5 and 2.7 meters deep that would cover Mars.
See also: NASA Curiosity rover: River remains discovered on Mars – Was there life after all?
Hints of buried ice deposits were first detected in 2007, but scientists didn't know what they were. New data, and new tools for analyzing that data, have revealed much more.
With new radar technology, scientists saw that the deposits are even thicker than we thought (up to 3.7 kilometers thick).
It is not known what created the deposits at this point on the Martian equator, but they are huge.
Because the area hasn't been well-studied, scientists want to learn more about it. In 2007, scientists collected data that showed the clear presence of something buried underground. But they didn't know at the time that it was water ice. It could be buried dust or volcanic material.
So the researchers collected new data from the area, analyzed the results, and ran modeling to try to figure out what was buried beneath the dust and rocks. And the only thing that fit the data well was ice.
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Many studies have found evidence of water on Mars in the past. There have been evidence of lakes and rivers. Now, of course, there is no liquid water on Mars. Where all that water went remains a mystery: did it disappear as vapor, or is it trapped deep within the planet? The new discovery at the equator may provide an answer. Perhaps Martian water is frozen deep within.
The discovery of vast ice deposits on Mars, below the equator, opens up new perspectives for the search for life on the planet. Water is a key factor for the existence of life as we know it, so the existence of water on Mars strengthens the possibility of life there.
See also: NASA Perseverance rover: Video from Belva crater on Mars
In addition, this discovery could change the way we prepare for future missions to Mars. The presence of water could facilitate human exploration and settlement on the planet, as water can be used to support life, produce fuel, and other applications. The water found so far is not suitable. It is buried under several hundred meters of Martian dust, and access to it is difficult. However, this discovery raises hopes that water exists elsewhere.
Finally, this discovery may provide new information about the climate history and geological evolution of Mars. The study of ice and the process by which it was formed and stored can give us valuable information about the conditions that prevailed on the planet in the past.
Source: www.sciencealert.com
