Liquid water found on Mars! Does this indicate the presence of life on the planet? Find out what the new study says

(Representative Image: Canva)

New research suggests that Mars could have significant amounts of water hidden beneath its surface, potentially enough to form a global ocean. This discovery is based on seismic data from NASA’s Mars InSight lander, which detected over 1,300 marsquakes before it ceased operations two years ago.

The water is likely situated 7 to 12 miles (11.5 to 20 kilometers) below Mars' surface. It is thought to have seeped underground billions of years ago when the planet had rivers, lakes, and possibly oceans. Lead researcher Vashan Wright from the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography explained that while this water may not necessarily indicate the presence of life, it does suggest that Mars might have environments that could potentially support life.

To reach these conclusions, Wright’s team used computer models alongside the data from the InSight lander, particularly focusing on the speed of the marsquakes. Their findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

If the area around the InSight lander, located at Elysium Planitia near Mars’ equator, is representative of the rest of the planet, there could be enough water beneath the surface to fill an ocean 1 to 2 kilometers deep. However, confirming this would require drilling and further exploration to find any signs of life.

Although the InSight lander is no longer operational, the wealth of data it collected between 2018 and 2022 continues to be analyzed, offering more clues about what lies beneath Mars’ surface. Scientists believe that Mars, once wet and possibly habitable over 3 billion years ago, lost much of its surface water as its atmosphere thinned, transforming it into the dry, dusty planet we know today. This ancient water either escaped into space or remains buried deep underground.