A New Study: There May Be an Ocean of Water Beneath the Surface of Mars

A new study shows that there may be a significant amount of water in the cracks of the subsurface rocks of Mars, potentially forming a global ocean. The findings of this research, published on Monday, August 13, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States, are based on seismic measurements from NASA's InSight lander. Although this lander is no longer operational, scientists are referring to its analyses and data from 2018 to 2022 to extract more information. According to Vashan Wright, a senior scientist at the University of California, this water, which appears to be located at depths of 11.5 to 20 kilometers beneath the Martian crust, likely penetrated from the surface of the planet billions of years ago, after a time when Mars probably had rivers, lakes, and oceans. Mr. Wright believes that the presence of water on this planet does not necessarily mean there is life, as detecting life and confirming the existence of water requires drilling and equipment. This red planet, which was a wet planet more than three billion years ago, now seems to have lost its surface water and transformed into the dry planet we see today due to its thin atmosphere compared to Earth's. Some of Mars' water has infiltrated its underground layers, while some has escaped into space. The living conditions on Mars have always attracted the attention of scientists and space enthusiasts, leading to comparisons with Earth. This planet has been of interest not only to scientists but also to prominent science fiction writers like Ray Bradbury, who depicted the existence of life and water on this planet in his book 'The Martian Chronicles,' presenting it as the next destination for humanity after the 'destruction of Earth.'