Mars, often called the Red Planet, has long fascinated scientists and the public alike with the tantalizing possibility of water—and potentially life—beneath its desolate surface. Recent research offers a breakthrough in this quest, revealing that while there may not be any liquid water on the Martian surface, a vast underground reservoir could rival Earth’s oceans.

Using seismic activity data from NASA’s InSight lander, geophysicists have discovered compelling evidence of a massive underground reservoir of liquid water deep within Mars’ crust. This water, trapped in tiny cracks and pores in the Martian bedrock, is estimated to be sufficient to cover the entire planet to a depth of one to two kilometers, or approximately a mile. The significance of this finding cannot be overstated, as it challenges our understanding of Mars’ geological history and opens up new possibilities in the search for extraterrestrial life.

The discovery was made possible by analyzing data from InSight, which was sent to Mars in 2018 to investigate the planet’s crust, mantle, core, and atmosphere. Over the course of its mission, which ended in 2022, InSight detected a range of seismic activities, including marsquakes and meteorite impacts, that allowed scientists to probe the planet’s interior.

A cutout of the Martian interior beneath NASA’s Insight lander. The top 5 kilometers of the crust appear to be dry, but a new study provides evidence for a zone of fractured rock 11.5-20 km below the surface that is full of liquid water — more than the volume proposed to have filled hypothesized ancient Martian oceans.
A cutout of the Martian interior beneath NASA’s Insight lander. The top 5 kilometers of the crust appear to be dry, but a new study provides evidence for a zone of fractured rock 11.5-20 km below the surface that is full of liquid water — more than the volume proposed to have filled hypothesized ancient Martian oceans. Credit: James Tuttle Keane and Aaron Rodriquez / Scripps Institution of Oceanography

By applying a mathematical model of rock physics, similar to those used on Earth to map underground aquifers and oil reservoirs, the research team concluded that the best explanation for the seismic data is the presence of a deep layer of fractured igneous rock saturated with liquid water. Igneous rocks, like the granite found in California’s Sierra Nevada, are formed from cooled molten magma and often contain networks of cracks where water can accumulate.

While the discovery of such a large reservoir of water on Mars is promising, there are significant challenges in accessing it. The water is located between 11.5 and 20 kilometers below the surface, deep within Mars’ mid-crust. Drilling to such depths on Earth is already a difficult and expensive endeavor, and it would be even more so on Mars. As a result, this water is unlikely to be immediately useful for future human colonists on Mars.

However, the implications of this finding extend far beyond the logistical challenges of water extraction. The existence of this deep reservoir provides critical insights into the climatic and geological history of Mars. Understanding how water cycles through the planet’s interior is crucial to piecing together the story of Mars’ transformation from a wet world with rivers, lakes, and possibly oceans, to the dry, barren landscape we see today. The reservoir could also serve as a potential habitat for microbial life, similar to deep subterranean environments on Earth where life thrives despite extreme conditions.

A 2018 photo of Mars during a dust storm, snapped by the Hubble Space Telescope. More than 3 billion years ago, the dusty red planet had oceans and rivers. That water disappeared, leaving only ice on the surface, most of it in the polar caps. A new analysis of Mars' interior suggests that much of the liquid water still exists in the pores of rocks 10-20 kilometers below the surface.
A 2018 photo of Mars during a dust storm, snapped by the Hubble Space Telescope. More than 3 billion years ago, the dusty red planet had oceans and rivers. That water disappeared, leaving only ice on the surface, most of it in the polar caps. A new analysis of Mars’ interior suggests that much of the liquid water still exists in the pores of rocks 10-20 kilometers below the surface. Credit: NASA / ESA / STScI

As Dr. Michael Manga, a professor of Earth and planetary science at UC Berkeley, notes, Water is necessary for life as we know it. While we haven’t found evidence of life on Mars, identifying such a reservoir is a significant step forward. Deep environments like this on Earth harbor life, and there’s no reason to think Mars’ underground oceans couldn’t do the same.

This research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that much of Mars’ water did not escape into space but instead seeped into the crust. If these findings hold true, Mars may have retained far more water than previously thought, albeit in locations far below the surface.

The study was led by Dr. Vashan Wright, an assistant professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, along with his colleagues Dr. Manga and Dr. Matthias Morzfeld.

SOURCES

University of California-Berkeley

Vashan Wright, Matthias Morzfeld, et al., Liquid water in the Martian mid-crust. PNAS 121 (35) e2409983121, doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2409983121

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