According to a study titled “Liquid water in the Martian mid-crust” published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), there could be oceans’ worth of liquid water deep in the rocky outer crust of Mars.
Liquid Water On Mars; Key Findings of the Study
NASA’s Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) (2018)
- Objective: InSight aims to study the deep interior of Mars to understand the formation of all rocky celestial bodies, including Earth and the Moon.
- Mission Duration: Initially planned as a two-year mission, InSight touched down on Mars at the end of 2018.
- First-of-Its-Kind Exploration: InSight is the first mission solely dedicated to exploring beneath the Martian surface.
- Scientific Instruments
- Seismometer: Detects Marsquakes to study the planet’s internal structure.
- Sensors: Measures wind and air pressure on Mars.
- Magnetometer: Monitors magnetic fields to understand the planet’s core.
- Heat Flow Probe: Takes the planet’s temperature to gauge internal heat flow.
- International Collaboration: The mission is supported by several European agencies:
- France’s CNES: Centre National d’Études Spatiales.
- Germany’s DLR: German Aerospace Center.
- UKSA: United Kingdom Space Agency.
|
- Significance: This is the first time scientists have discovered liquid water on Mars, potentially holding oceans’ worth deep within the planet’s rocky outer crust.
- Data Source:
- Mars Insight Lander: The study utilised data from NASA’s Mars Insight Lander, active from 2018 to 2022.
- Seismic Data: Insight’s seismometer recorded over 1,300 Marsquakes, providing crucial seismic wave data.
- Marsquakes are seismic events on Mars, similar to earthquakes on Earth.
- They are caused by the planet’s internal processes, such as the cooling and contraction of the planet’s interior, tectonic activity, or volcanic activity.
Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes
- Geophysical Model
- Earth-Based Techniques: Researchers employed a geophysical model, similar to those used to map underground aquifers on Earth, to analyse the seismic data.
- Findings: The data suggests a layer of fractured igneous rock, possibly granite, located 10-20 km beneath Mars’ surface, with its cracks filled with liquid water.
- Subsurface Water Layer
- Depth: The liquid water is located 10-20 km deep in the Martian crust.
- Origin: Water likely seeped from the surface billions of years ago when Mars had rivers, lakes, and oceans.
- Potential Water Volume: If this finding is representative of the entire planet, the water trapped in rock fractures could fill a 1-2 km-deep ocean.
- Implications for Habitability
- Possibility of Life: While the discovery doesn’t confirm life on Mars, it raises the possibility of a habitable environment.
- Comparison to Earth: Similar to Earth, where deep mines and ocean floors host life,
- These underground water reservoirs on Mars could theoretically sustain life.
Challenges for Mars Colonisation
- Extraction Difficulties: Drilling 10-20 km to access the water would be extremely challenging, posing significant obstacles for plans to colonise Mars, such as those envisioned by Elon Musk.
Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store
Mars
- Fourth Planet: Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest in the Solar System.
- Size Comparison: Mars is approximately half the size of Earth.
- Day Length: Mars completes one rotation every 24.6 hours, similar to Earth’s 23.9-hour day.
- Axial Tilt: Mars has a 25-degree axial tilt, close to Earth’s 23.4-degree tilt, leading to distinct seasons on both planets.
- Seasons: Martian seasons are longer than Earth’s due to its greater distance from the Sun.
- Martian Days: Days on Mars are called “sols,” short for “solar day.”
- Coloration: Mars has a surface that appears brown, gold, and tan, with its reddish colour due to iron oxidation (rust).
- Olympus Mons: Mars is home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System, three times taller than Mt. Everest with a base the size of New Mexico.
- Composition: Mars has a thin atmosphere primarily composed of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon.
- Moons of Mars: Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos.
India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan
- Launch Details: Launched in November 2013 by ISRO from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-25 rocket.
- Mission Goals: Mangalyaan aims to study Mars’ surface, mineral composition, and atmosphere, particularly searching for methane, which could indicate life.
Reasons for Frequent Missions to Mars
- Similarity to Earth: Early Mars, about 4 billion years ago, had conditions similar to early Earth, with a thick atmosphere and surface water, raising the possibility of past microscopic life.
- Comparative Habitability: Mars is the most hospitable planet in the Solar System after Earth, with temperatures ranging from 20°C at the equator to -125°C at the poles, making it a candidate for future human exploration and habitation.
Other Missions to Mars
- Curiosity Rover – NASA (2011)
- MAVEN – NASA (2013)
- ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter – European Space Agency/Russia (2016)
- Hope Mars Mission – United Arab Emirates (2020)
- Tianwen-1 – China (2020)
- Mars 2020 – Perseverance Rover – NASA (2020)
|
August 21, 2024
