In 2018, the InSight research apparatus was sent to Mars with an instrument for studying tremors beneath the planet's surface. The apparatus successfully landed on Elysium Planitia, and then, using a robotic arm, installed this instrument 1.6 meters from the landing platform. The device worked for four years, and during this time it recorded 1,319 marsquakes. Scientists have long received the data it collected and studied it over the next couple of years. Recently, the work finally yielded results. By studying the propagation of seismic waves inside the planet, they were able to understand what materials and substances they passed through. Judging by the nature of the waves, there is a huge amount of liquid water beneath the surface of Mars. Scientists were even able to determine at what depth the liquid is located.
Mars surprised scientists by the fact that there is liquid water inside it. Image source: habr.com
Contents
- 1 Liquid water on Mars
- 2 How scientists found water on Mars
- 3 Where did the water disappear on Mars
- 4 How will humanity develop Mars
Liquid water on Mars
Scientists have known for a long time that liquid rivers and lakes existed on Mars about 3 billion years ago. This is easy to understand by simply looking closely at the Martian surface – it is full of traces of water that once flowed. In addition, the surface of the Red Planet is full of frozen water. For example, there is a lot of icy water on the polar caps.
The Martian crater Jezero was once a lake. Image source: nasa.gov
Recently, NASA researchers have found extremely convincing evidence that there is liquid water on Mars. Many publications, from the foreign SciTech Daily to the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, wrote about this sensational news.
How scientists found water on Mars
Liquid water is not on the surface of Mars, but under the Martian crust. According to scientists, it is located at a depth of 10-20 kilometers.
The discovery was made while studying data collected by the InSight apparatus and its SEIS seismometer. As was said at the beginning of the article, during its entire operation, the device was able to record 1,319 marsquakes. By measuring the speed of propagation of seismic waves, scientists determined what materials they passed through. Judging by the nature of the waves, they passed not only through solid structures, but also through liquid ones.
Evidence of water under Mars was found thanks to the InSight spacecraft. Image source: scitechdaily.com
Scientists do not know exactly how much water is hidden under the surface of Mars. But there is hope that the answer to this question will be given in the future. In the next century, people are unlikely to be able to make a deep hole on the Red Planet and get to the water. But research vehicles capable of studying the interior of planets from a distance will certainly be able to calculate its approximate amount.
Read also: Why the discovery of life on Mars will be bad news for humanity
Where did the water go on Mars
Scientists estimate that water existed on Mars 3-4 billion years ago. But as the planet's atmosphere became less dense, the water began to evaporate and fly away into space, and the rest began to freeze. For many years, scientists believed that water on Mars disappeared about 3 billion years ago. But the results of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) orbiter showed that it may have disappeared 2.5 billion years ago. That is, water on the Red Planet existed much longer than scientists thought.
This is what the InSight apparatus, which made the discovery, looks like. Photo source: scitechdaily.com
Scientists don't know exactly where the huge reserves of Martian water disappeared to. Some of it definitely evaporated and flew off into space. Some of the Martian water also froze – the white spots on the planet's polar caps are ice. Scientists also believed that the water could have seeped through the soil and ended up under the surface of Mars. The new discovery confirms this, and there may be much more water there than we can imagine.
Take a look at the past of the Red Planet: What was the climate like on Mars before the planet lost its atmosphere
How humanity will develop Mars
So, there is liquid water beneath the surface of Mars, and this has been confirmed once again. The new discovery will allow scientists to learn more about the evolution of Mars – perhaps we will soon learn more about how the planet formed, how it flourished, and what caused it to turn into a lifeless desert. But don't expect this discovery to change science instantly.
The presence of water on Mars would greatly simplify the creation of a human colony. Image source: ethereumpost.ru
In the future, we want to fly to Mars and establish a human colony there. But to live there, we will need a lot of water for drinking, washing, and operating equipment. Today, scientists hope to obtain it by melting ice. But it is unlikely that we will be able to use the water located under the surface of Mars in the coming years – digging a well more than 10 kilometers deep is a very difficult task even on Earth. So there is no need to rejoice and expect that humanity will rush to the Red Planet in the near future.
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So now we can only follow the news. The presence of liquid water on Mars is great news, which also increases the chances that we will someday find extraterrestrial life. True, it will most likely be microscopic.