May 12, 2025 04:51 AM
https://theconversation.com/meteorites-a...net-255408
EXCERPTS: Evidence is mounting that a secret lies beneath the dusty red plains of Mars, one that could redefine our view of the Red Planet: a vast reservoir of liquid water, locked deep in the crust. Mars is covered in traces of ancient bodies of water. But the puzzle of exactly where it all went when the planet turned cold and dry has long intrigued scientists.
Our new study may offer an answer. Using seismic data from NASA’s InSight mission, we uncovered evidence that the seismic waves slow down in a layer between 5.4 and 8 kilometres below the surface, which could be because of the presence of liquid water at these depths.
[...] We made our discovery thanks to two meteorite impacts in 2021 [...] These events sent seismic waves rippling through the crust, like dropping a stone into a pond and watching the waves spread.
InSight’s seismometer captured these vibrations. We used the high-frequency signals from the events — think of tuning into a crisp, high-definition radio station — to map the crust’s hidden layers. [...] These signatures let us pinpoint boundaries where rock changes, revealing the water-soaked layer 5.4 to 8 kilometres deep.
[...] Our seismic data covers only a slice of Mars. New missions with seismometers are needed to map potential water layers across the rest of the planet... (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: Evidence is mounting that a secret lies beneath the dusty red plains of Mars, one that could redefine our view of the Red Planet: a vast reservoir of liquid water, locked deep in the crust. Mars is covered in traces of ancient bodies of water. But the puzzle of exactly where it all went when the planet turned cold and dry has long intrigued scientists.
Our new study may offer an answer. Using seismic data from NASA’s InSight mission, we uncovered evidence that the seismic waves slow down in a layer between 5.4 and 8 kilometres below the surface, which could be because of the presence of liquid water at these depths.
[...] We made our discovery thanks to two meteorite impacts in 2021 [...] These events sent seismic waves rippling through the crust, like dropping a stone into a pond and watching the waves spread.
InSight’s seismometer captured these vibrations. We used the high-frequency signals from the events — think of tuning into a crisp, high-definition radio station — to map the crust’s hidden layers. [...] These signatures let us pinpoint boundaries where rock changes, revealing the water-soaked layer 5.4 to 8 kilometres deep.
[...] Our seismic data covers only a slice of Mars. New missions with seismometers are needed to map potential water layers across the rest of the planet... (MORE - missing details)
