Scientists discover liquid water on Mars for the first time: What a new study says

Sub: Sci

Sec: Space sector

Context:

According to a new study, there could be oceans’ worth of liquid water deep in the rocky outer crust of Mars.
While scientists have known about water ice at the Martian poles for a long time, this is the first time they have discovered liquid water on the planet.

About the study:

The study, ‘Liquid water in the Martian mid-crust’, was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The researchers used the data from NASA’s Mars Insight Lander, which was equipped with a seismometer.
The lander had recorded of seismic waves created by Marsquakes and meteorite impacts deep inside the planet for four years.
The researchers examined the speed of these seismic waves and were able to determine what material they were most likely to be moving through.

Findings:

The data are best explained if, deep below the surface of Mars, there lies a layer of fractured igneous rock, such as granite, whose cracks are filled with liquid water.
That layer is located at depths of about 10 to 20 km in the Martian crust.
The study suggests that the water could have seeped from the surface billions of years ago when Mars harboured rivers, lakes, and possibly oceans.

Implications:

The findings could help researchers better understand the water cycle of Mars, the evolution of the planet’s climate, surface, and interior.
Discovery of liquid water raises the possibility of finding a habitable environment.