More underground reservoirs of water have been discovered on Mars, increasing the possibility of finding some kind of life there.
Researchers from Italy’s Roma Tri University have discovered lakes of water beneath the surface of Mars’ south ice pole.
It should be noted that earlier in 2018, a hidden lake was discovered under the martian polar ice of Mars.
For the new discovery, researchers used radar data from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter to look for liquid water.
According to a statement released by the European Space Agency, three new lakes have been discovered after collecting and analyzing data in a different way.
The results of this study were published by the researchers in the journal Nature Astronomy.
All three lakes are hidden under a thick layer of ice, with the largest lake covering an area of 19 miles, surrounded by numerous smaller ponds.
The researchers expect the water in these lakes to be very salty once it could have remained in liquid form at such low temperatures.
A 2019 study suggested that volcanic activity may have prevented the water from freezing, but the new study emphasizes the idea of a high salt content in the water.
The European Space Agency said that it is not possible for water to remain stable on the surface, but this new research has opened the door to the possibility that a system of underground lakes millions or billions of years old may exist on the Red Planet.
Remember that Mars is now cold, barren and dry, but it is believed that 3.6 billion years ago this planet was home to liquid water and lakes.
Scientists are trying to find ancient microbes on Mars.
Several missions have been sent by NASA to collect various evidences on the surface of Mars.
Aquifers are important for the search for life, but they are very difficult to access because they are more than a mile below the ice sheet.
Apparently, no major discovery is likely to be made from the South Pole of Mars soon, but it will surely be an important target in the future.
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2024-07-24 12:25:15