Water on Mars: Scientists are actively working towards the possibility of water and potential life on the planet Mars. While various reports about water on Mars have been circulating, a new study has emerged that could open up multiple avenues for scientists. This discovery reveals that near the Martian equator, there exists the largest reservoir of ice.
In 2007, scientists revisited the region with the Mars Express spacecraft, nearly 16 years after it first examined the Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF). Both the 2007 and recent research were led by Smithsonian Institution scientist Thomas Watters. According to their new findings, the accumulated water in this area of Mars exceeds initial estimates and extends up to 3.7 kilometers below the surface.
Estimated water volume comparable to Earth’s Red Sea – Scientists
Recent research indicates the presence of extensive ice layers beneath the surface of Mars. If this ice were to melt, it could submerge the Martian surface in 1.5 to 2.7 meters of water. This could potentially make the Medusae Fossae Formation region on Mars the largest reservoir of liquid water, equivalent to the volume of Earth’s Red Sea.
This study is considered the most significant water discovery on Mars to date. Mars boasts unique features such as the Medusae Fossae Formation, towering columns of its atmosphere, and extensive dust and debris between the highlands and lowlands.
Claims of ice on the surface of Mars – Research
Andrea Cicchetti, a scientist at the National Institute for Astrophysics in Italy, suggests that if the Medusae Fossae Formation were merely composed of dust, it would be much denser. Their models indicate that the presence of ice is essential for this density. Cicchetti states that the new analysis reveals the presence of both dust and ice layers in the Medusae Fossae Formation, covered by a thick layer of fine dust or ash. Scientists believe that such mid-latitude ice deposits on Mars could be quite ancient.
Mars was once habitable – Researchers
Scientists assert that Mars, which now appears cold and lifeless, was once warm, watery, and habitable. There was already suspicion among scientists that water existed in the Jezero Crater, confirmed by the Perseverance rover’s landing there.
The Perseverance rover landed on Mars on the night of February 18-19, 2021, to confirm the presence of water and search for signs of life. It landed precisely on the dangerous surface of the Jezero Crater around 2 AM according to Indian time.
NASA claimed that the Perseverance landing was the most accurate in the history of rover landings on Mars. This six-wheeled rover covered a distance of 47 million kilometers in seven months, swiftly approaching its target. The final seven minutes of the landing were particularly challenging and risky, with the rover slowing down from 12,000 miles per hour to a standstill in just 7 minutes before successfully landing.
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