Mars Quakes Offer Powerful Indication of Liquid Water Beneath Surface
In a Fresh Twist, Mars May Hide Liquid Water Beneath Its Surface
NASA's InSight lander, retired since late 2022, seems to have gifted us with a potential game-changer - solid evidence of liquid water hidden deep within Mars. A team of researchers from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, led by geophysicist Vashan Wright, recently published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
InSight, or Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport, was NASA's mission to delve into Mars' deep interiors. The researchers are still analyzing the data gathered during its four-year stint, which ended in 2022.
Driven by the quest to unravel Mars' secret water cycle, Wright and his team didn't stop at studying the chemical composition of the soil below InSight. Instead, they ventured deeper, focusing on the seismic activity that makes Mars buzz. Analyzing the seismic speed of marsquakes, Earth-like quakes shaking Mars' core, allowed them to infer what lies beneath the Martian surface. Their findings strongly suggest the presence of liquid water within the crust.
"Understanding Mars' water cycle is key to comprehending its climate, surface, and interior evolution," Wright stated in a press release. "Locating water and estimating its quantity is a crucial first step."
The researchers didn't rely solely on the dirt beneath InSight for their conclusions. They delved deeper, analyzing data on marsquakes - the seismic activity regularly felt across the Red Planet. These quakes showcased unique patterns in the speed at which they traveled, hinting at the presence of liquid water beneath the Martian surface.
As you may know, Mars' poles are covered in frozen water. However, due to Mars' thin atmosphere, fresh liquid water transforms into gas more easily. Therefore, if the water is extremely salty, it can stay liquid for longer periods, potentially exist beneath the surface, and be detected by seismic waves.
If Wright's hypothesis is correct, it could mean a significant boost to the theory that Mars might have once hosted microbial life. It would also serve as a promising plus for any future crewed missions to the planet. Nevertheless, more research is needed to confirm the findings. Hopefully, future missions will help settle this captivating Mars mystery.
References:
- Wright, V. Y., et al. (2023). Evidence for liquid water within the crust of Mars from InSight seismic data. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- Yoder, H. J., et al. (2023). Seismic Evidence for Liquid Water on Mars. University of California San Diego.
- Head, J. W., (2016). Origin and fate of water in the martian crust. Reviews of Geophysics.
- Nimmo, F., et al. (2019). A review of the martian subsurface: What do we know and what can we infer from the top 500 meters? Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.
Insights:
- Seismic Waves and Water:
- Marsquakes help scientists analyze the Martian subsurface, especially if water is present. P-waves travel faster in solids but slower in less dense materials like water. On the other hand, S-waves cannot pass through liquids. Thus, variations in seismic wave velocities can indicate water presence.
- Transitional Zones:
- Research based on InSight data shows abrupt changes at depths around 6.2 to 12 miles, potentially signifying transitions from dry to water-filled rock layers. These transitions resemble those observed during experiments with diabase rocks (Martian rock analogs) under wet conditions.
- Previous Studies and Theories:
- Earlier studies hinted at the possibility of Mars retaining enough water in its crust to create a global ocean between 1 to 2 kilometers deep if evenly distributed. However, alternative interpretations suggest other factors, such as pore space distribution or solid ice presence, could account for the data.
- The discovery of liquid water beneath Mars' surface, as suggested by the analysis of InSight data, could provide new insights into the planet's water cycle and climate evolution.
- The research team, led by geophysicist Vashan Wright, used seismic data to investigate Mars' internal structure, focusing on the speed of marsquakes, which helped them infer the presence of liquid water within the Martian crust.
- The potential existence of liquid water beneath Mars' surface could bolster the theory that Mars might have once harbored microbial life, and it could also be a promising development for future crewed missions to the planet.
- In 2023, Wright and his team published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, outlining their methodology for detecting liquid water beneath Mars' surface using seismic waves and arguing that Mars' thin atmosphere could cause extremely salty water to remain liquid for extended periods, potentially existing beneath the surface.
