NASA finds reservoir of liquid water on Mars

The finding, detailed in a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that water is trapped in the Martian crust about 6 to 12 miles below the surface.

“Understanding the Martian water cycle is critical for understanding the evolution of the climate, surface and interior,” said Dr Vashan Wright, a geophysicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, who led the study.

The discovery came from data collected by NASA’s Mars InSight Lander, which has been studying Mars since 2018. The lander’s seismometer recorded vibrations from Marsquakes over four years, revealing “seismic signals” that indicated the presence of liquid water.

Professor Michael Manga from the University of California, Berkeley, a co-author of the study, discussed the implications for Mars’ habitability. “Establishing that there is a big reservoir of liquid water provides some window into what the climate was like or could be like," Manga said.

"Without liquid water, you don't have life," Prof Manga told the BBC. "So if there are habitable environments on Mars, those may be now deep underground."

Prof Manga has also explained that the techniques used in the discovery are "the same techniques we use to prospect for water on Earth, or to look for oil and gas."

Despite the exciting possibilities, accessing this water would be challenging. Although there is water ice at the Martian poles and evidence of vapour in the atmosphere, this is the first confirmation of liquid water on Mars.