Scientists estimate that there is a “vast pocket of water” beneath the surface of Mars, the size of an ocean, with enough water to cover the entire planet.
However, the water is buried between 1 and 2 miles below the crust, so it would be very difficult to reach and even more difficult to bring to the surface for more detailed study.
Behind the assessment is a study based on seismological measurements by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Although the results do not indicate that the water contains any living organisms, the discovery, according to the researchers, still indicates that there could be environments on Mars that could be habitable.
The UC Berkeley researchers believe that water seeped beneath the surface of the red planet billions of years ago – when parts of Mars were covered by rivers, lakes and perhaps even oceans. Since then, the atmosphere has thinned, causing much of the water to evaporate and giving the planet its current appearance.
The study used NASA data and computer models, similar to those used to map water tables and oil fields on Earth, to conclude that the data collected is best explained by a deep layer of fractured volcanic rock filled with liquid water beneath the Martian surface.
Life on Mars?
Whether there could be life on Mars is something that humanity has discussed extensively. Recently, the possibility of establishing a future colony on the planet has also been theorized – with access to water being described as a prerequisite for such a thing to be feasible.
Although there is no clear evidence of microbial life, the discovery of water means, at least in theory, that such life could exist somewhere on the planet – but more importantly, the discovery is seen as an important part of explaining the geological history of Mars.
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