Technology

Researchers discover massive underground water reservoir on Mars

Scientists have been sending spacecraft and probes to Mars for years to investigate the fate of the water that existed on the planet around three billion years ago and to explore the possibility of life on Mars, either in the past or present.

In this illustration made available by NASA, the Perseverance rover casts off its spacecraft's cruise stage, minutes before entering the Martian atmosphere. (Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP)
In this illustration made available by NASA, the Perseverance rover casts off its spacecraft's cruise stage, minutes before entering the Martian atmosphere. (Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP)
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ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Researchers have uncovered evidence of a vast underground water reservoir on Mars, potentially large enough to cover the entire surface of the planet in oceans.

According to a report by PA Media, NASA's Insight mission data suggests that the amount of groundwater on Mars could be sufficient to fill the planet's surface oceans. However, experts caution that this water may not be easily accessible or useful for future human colonization.

The reservoir is located within small cracks in the rocks near the center of the planet, at depths ranging between 11.5 and 20 kilometers beneath the Martian surface. On Earth, drilling to such depths would be extremely challenging, indicating similar difficulties on Mars.

"Understanding the Martian water cycle is critical for understanding the evolution of the climate, surface and interior," said Vashan Wright, an associate professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.

"A useful starting point is to identify where water is and how much is there," he continued.

Scientists have been sending spacecraft and probes to Mars for years to investigate the fate of the water that existed on the planet around three billion years ago and to explore the possibility of life on Mars, either in the past or present. 

The discovery of this underground reservoir adds a crucial piece to the puzzle of Mars' water history and its potential to support life, but it also highlights the significant challenges that would face any future efforts to utilize this resource.