Huge reservoir of water under Mars, seismic data indicates

Sub: Science and Tech

Sec: Space

Context:

An immense reservoir of liquid water may reside deep under the surface of Mars within fractured igneous rocks, holding enough to fill an ocean that would cover the entire surface of Mars, according to seismic data obtained by NASA’s robotic InSight lander.

Details:

InSight was able to measure the speed of seismic waves and how they change with depth. The speed of seismic waves depends on what the rock is made of, where it has cracks, and what fills the cracks.
The data indicated the presence of this reservoir of liquid water within fractured igneous rocks -formed in the cooling and solidification of magma or lava – in the Martian crust, the planet’s outermost layer.
The water, located about 5 to 20 km below the Martian surface, potentially offers conditions favourable to sustaining microbial life, the researchers said.
At these depths, the crust is warm enough for water to exist as a liquid. At more shallow depths, the water would be frozen.
The Martian surface is cold and desolate today but once was warm and wet. The study suggests that much of the water that had been on the Martian surface did not escape into space, but rather filtered down into the crust.

Can this water be extracted?

Water would be a vital resource if humankind ever is to place astronauts on the Martian surface or establish some sort of long-term settlement. But the depth of the apparent underground liquid water would make it difficult to access.
Drilling to these depths is very challenging.
Looking for places where geological activity expels this water, possibly the tectonically active Cerberus Fossae (a region in the northern hemisphere of Mars), is an alternative to looking for deep liquids.

About InSight lander:

The InSight lander touched down in 2018 to study the deep interior of Mars, gathering data on the planet’s various layers, from its liquid metal core to its mantle and its crust.
The InSight mission ended in 2022.