A massive reservoir of liquid water, equal to an ocean, has been found hiding under Mars, a recent study claims. The water deposit found fractured within igneous rocks, is so huge that it is enough to fill an ocean that can cover the entire Earth’s planetary neighbour, concluded scientists who observed the recent seismic data of Mars.

The claims were made based on data received from NASA’s robotic InSight Lander during a mission to help decipher the interior of Mars. This is good news, as it provides hope of probable life on the red planet. However, there is one problem.

The water discovered on Mars is located about 7.2 to 12.4 miles (11.5 to 20 km) below the Martian surface, which is at depths that are too far below the surface for us to access. Life can sustain at such depths, as researchers point out that conditions beneath are favourable for microbial life, but reaching there would be a herculean task, almost impossible some may say.

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"At these depths, the crust is warm enough for water to exist as a liquid. At more shallow depths, the water would be frozen as ice," said planetary scientist Vashan Wright of the University of California, San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, lead author of the study.

The study was published on Monday (Aug 12) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

On our planet Earth, we are able to find microbial life deep underground where rocks are saturated with water, explains co-author Michael Manga of the University of California, Berkeley.

<h2>How huge ocean of water was found on Mars?</h2>

India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-2, which was launched in 2019, first gave the location of abundance of lunar water. Recent data by InSight indicated the presence of this reservoir of liquid water within igneous rocks,&nbsp;formed in the cooling and solidification of magma or lava in the Martian crust.

The InSight lander touched down in 2018 to study the deep interior of Mars, gathering data on the planet's various layers, from its liquid metal core to its mantle and its crust. The InSight mission ended in 2022.

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"The water exists within fractures. If the InSight location is representative and you extract all the water from the fractures in the mid-crust, we estimate that the water would fill a 1-2 km deep (0.6-1.2 miles) ocean on Mars globally," Wright said.

<h2>Challenges ahead</h2>

Water would be a vital resource if humankind ever is to place astronauts on the Martian surface or establish some sort of long-term settlement. We knew earlier that Mars harbours water in the form of ice in its polar regions and in its subsurface, but the discovery of water in underground water is huge. And the challenge is huge too.&nbsp;

"Drilling to these depths is very challenging. Looking for places where geological activity expels this water, possibly the tectonically active Cerberus Fossae (a region in the northern hemisphere of Mars), is an alternative to looking for deep liquids," Manga said.

(With inputs from agencies)

A massive reservoir of liquid water, equal to an ocean, has been found hiding under Mars, a recent study claims. The water deposit found fractured within igneous rocks, is so huge that it is enough to fill an ocean that can cover the entire Earth’s planetary neighbour, concluded scientists who observed the recent seismic data of Mars.

A massive reservoir of liquid water, equal to an ocean, has been found hiding under Mars, a recent study claims. The water deposit found fractured within igneous rocks, is so huge that it is enough to fill an ocean that can cover the entire Earth’s planetary neighbour, concluded scientists who observed the recent seismic data of Mars. The claims were made based on data received from NASA’s robotic InSight Lander during a mission to help decipher the interior of Mars. This is good news, as it provides hope of probable life on the red planet. However, there is one problem. The water discovered on Mars is located about 7.2 to 12.4 miles (11.5 to 20 km) below the Martian surface, which is at depths that are too far below the surface for us to access. Life can sustain at such depths, as researchers point out that conditions beneath are favourable for microbial life, but reaching there would be a herculean task, almost impossible some may say. Also Read | NASA warns 100-foot asteroid is racing towards Earth, will be closest on... "At these depths, the crust is warm enough for water to exist as a liquid. At more shallow depths, the water would be frozen as ice," said planetary scientist Vashan Wright of the University of California, San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, lead author of the study. The study was published on Monday (Aug 12) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. On our planet Earth, we are able to find microbial life deep underground where rocks are saturated with water, explains co-author Michael Manga of the University of California, Berkeley. How huge ocean of water was found on Mars? India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-2, which was launched in 2019, first gave the location of abundance of lunar water. Recent data by InSight indicated the presence of this reservoir of liquid water within igneous rocks, formed in the cooling and solidification of magma or lava in the Martian crust. The InSight lander touched down in 2018 to study the deep interior of Mars, gathering data on the planet's various layers, from its liquid metal core to its mantle and its crust. The InSight mission ended in 2022. Also Read | ESA spots salty, purple wave lures, like a 'mermaid', on Mars "The water exists within fractures. If the InSight location is representative and you extract all the water from the fractures in the mid-crust, we estimate that the water would fill a 1-2 km deep (0.6-1.2 miles) ocean on Mars globally," Wright said. Challenges ahead Water would be a vital resource if humankind ever is to place astronauts on the Martian surface or establish some sort of long-term settlement. We knew earlier that Mars harbours water in the form of ice in its polar regions and in its subsurface, but the discovery of water in underground water is huge. And the challenge is huge too. "Drilling to these depths is very challenging. Looking for places where geological activity expels this water, possibly the tectonically active Cerberus Fossae (a region in the northern hemisphere of Mars), is an alternative to looking for deep liquids," Manga said. (With inputs from agencies)

Big! Underground water reservoir, the size of an ocean found on Mars, but there's a problem...

Almost 22 per cent of underground water resources in the country have either dried up or fall in the critical category, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Friday, adding that his government has initiated work on mapping all the aquifers in the country for their better management.

Speaking at an event here, Shekhawat said that his government is committed to complete the mapping of all the aquifers (groundwater resources) in the country by the next two years, while work on mapping the aquifers in the critically exploited districts is aimed to be completed by March 2020.

"Of the total number of underground water resources in India, almost 22 per cent of them are either dried up or on the verge of drying up, they are critically exploited. My government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up an initiative to map the aquifers," Shekhawat said.

"We have covered almost a million square kilometres of aquifer mapping and we are committed to complete it by the next two years, and we have further amended our commitment to complete the mapping of aquifers by next March for the exploited districts and areas," he added.

Shekhawat made the remark following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and Australia's MARVI (Managing Aquifer Recharge and Sustaining Groundwater Use through Village-level Intervention).

 
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Almost 22 per cent of underground water resources in the country have either dried up or fall in the critical category, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Friday, adding that his government has initiated work on mapping all the aquifers in the country for their better management.

Almost 22 per cent of underground water resources in the country have either dried up or fall in the critical category, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Friday, adding that his government has initiated work on mapping all the aquifers in the country for their better management. Speaking at an event here, Shekhawat said that his government is committed to complete the mapping of all the aquifers (groundwater resources) in the country by the next two years, while work on mapping the aquifers in the critically exploited districts is aimed to be completed by March 2020. "Of the total number of underground water resources in India, almost 22 per cent of them are either dried up or on the verge of drying up, they are critically exploited. My government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up an initiative to map the aquifers," Shekhawat said. "We have covered almost a million square kilometres of aquifer mapping and we are committed to complete it by the next two years, and we have further amended our commitment to complete the mapping of aquifers by next March for the exploited districts and areas," he added. Shekhawat made the remark following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and Australia's MARVI (Managing Aquifer Recharge and Sustaining Groundwater Use through Village-level Intervention).

22% underground water resources dried up or in critical category: Jal Shakti Minister Shekhawat

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Big! Underground water reservoir, the size of an ocean found on Mars, but there's a problem...

22% underground water resources dried up or in critical category: Jal Shakti Minister Shekhawat