A hidden amount of liquid water, equivalent to an ocean, may be lurking beneath the surface of Mars, according to seismic data.
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As reported in a new scientific study published on April 25 in the journal National Science Review, seismic wave recordings from the interior of the Red Planet indicate that a layer of liquid water may exist in the rocky layers of Mars, at a depth of 5.4 to 8 kilometers below the surface.
The study authors estimate that the total volume of hidden water could cover the entire surface of Mars with an ocean 520 to 780 meters deep — an amount of liquid comparable to that contained in the Antarctic ice sheet
Our neighboring planet was once rich in water. From the time of Mars' formation, about 4.1 billion years ago, until about 3 billion years ago, the Red Planet is believed to have been extremely wet. Formations such as valleys, deltas, and layered sedimentary rocks indicate the constant presence of flowing water on its surface.
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However, this abundant liquid water "disappeared as the planet gradually transitioned to the cold and dry state we observe today," said Hrvoje Tkalčić, co-author of the study and professor of geophysics at the Australian National University.
Over time, Mars lost magnetic field, and solar radiation began to erode its atmosphere. As the atmosphere became increasingly thin, the surface temperature dropped. Liquid water began to either escape into space, become trapped as ice in the subsurface or polar ice caps, or become incorporated into hydrated minerals in the planet's crust, according to the researchers.
This new research suggests that there is indeed liquid water buried deep beneath the planet's surface. Analyzing seismic data from NASA, which landed on Mars in 2018, researchers found that seismic waves caused by asteroid impacts and earthquakes in 2021 and 2022 slowed down at depths between 5.4 and 8 kilometers.
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Scientists believe this slowdown could be due to the presence of liquid water within porous rocks, as seismic waves travel more slowly through liquids than through solids. They also suggest that this underground liquid water could account for the total volume of water missing from previous calculations.
Source: livescience
