Breakthrough Discovery: Evidence of a Vast Underground Ocean on Mars Suggests Potential for Life

With a cold, desert-like and dry surface, Mars has traditionally been seen as one of the most hostile planets for life. However, studies suggest a very different past. About 4 billion years ago, when Earth was just beginning to harbor the first microorganisms, Mars had a more hospitable atmosphere, protective magnetic fields, and rivers flowing on its surface.

The fate of these rivers remains a mystery. Some theories suggest that a large asteroid or even the growth of a life form could have caused a major atmospheric change, leading to the evaporation of liquids. However, a new hypothesis is gaining strength: the presence of a vast underground ocean on Mars.

Mars: Underground ocean found 15 kilometers deep

NASA’s InSight probe collected data between 2018 and 2022 that suggests there was a large ocean beneath the Martian crust. These data indicate that surface water was absorbed by the soil, rather than being converted to gases. According to Fabio Rodrigues, an astrobiologist at USP, “Understanding the water cycles on Mars is essential to understanding the evolution and habitability of the planet. “

What do we know about the internal structure of Mars?

By analyzing seismic data and meteor records, InSight determined that there was a large layer of rock and solid magma, possibly full of water. Michael Manga, a researcher at the University of California and co-author of the study published in PNASsays: “Water is essential to life as we know it. Although we have not yet found evidence of life on Mars, we have identified a place that could support life. “

After all, is there life on Mars?

Although the surface of Mars is unstable, a moist, mineral-rich layer beneath the crust could provide a habitable environment. Biosignatures, compounds that indicate biological activity, were found by the Perseverance probe in a rock known as Cheyava Falls, suggesting the existence of microorganisms in the past.

Other traces include organic molecules and compounds such as phosphate and iron, which on Earth are associated with fossil microbes. In addition, the presence of chemical elements necessary for life (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur) was also found in the Martian soil.

What are the next steps?

Despite the promising results, it will be a big challenge to prove these theories. It would not even be possible on Earth to dig a 15-kilometer tunnel to access groundwater. Currently, it is impossible to collect samples of these specific molecules.

However, anticipation and curiosity continue to fuel space exploration. Who knows, one day we may discover that we are not alone in the universe. Mars gives us a glimpse of the possibilities that are still waiting to be revealed.

Key Discoveries of the InSight Probe

• That there would be an underground ocean 15 kilometers deep
• Analysis of seismic and meteor data
• The presence of a series of volcanic rocks that contain water

Biosignatures on Mars

The Perseverance probe found biosignatures, compounds that indicate life, in a rock named Cheyava Falls. This discovery strengthens the idea of ​​possible forms of life on Mars, although there is no definitive proof yet.

As we continue to explore space, these discoveries remind us how little we still know about our planetary neighbors and the possibilities of finding life beyond Earth.

The InSight and NASA probes was launched on May 5, 2018 and landed on Mars on November 26 of the same year. The probe operated for four years until it ran out of power in December 2022. During this time, InSight collected data that helped reveal the secrets of the planet’s interior, taking in:

• The first seismic waves to travel through the heart of Mars
• The aftershocks of four space rock impacts that fell on Mars in 2020 and 2021
• More than 1,300 “Marsquakes” (Martian tremors)
• Signs of water, showing that Mars once had oceans
• New and improved view of Mars’ core, despite earthquakes occurring in a “shadow zone” where seismic waves tend to be deflected away from InSight

InSight also helped scientists notice that Mars is spinning faster.