Detecting a 20km lake under the surface of Mars

New evidence of a 20km lake near the southernmost tip of Mars raises hope for the possibility of life on the red planet.

The newly discovered lake is located under the southernmost ice cap of Mars and about 20km wide, the BBC today reported. Previous research found evidence of flowing liquid water interrupting the surface of the red planet, but this is the first evidence of a seamless water area that exists today.

The lake is located near the southern tip of Mars 20km wide and at least one meter deep.(Photo: Science Photo Library).

The lakes that robots explore Curiosity of the US Aerospace Agency (NASA) have discovered that water has appeared on the surface of Mars in the past. However, the planet's climate then became very cold due to the thinning atmosphere, which caused most of the water to become ice. Liquid lakes were found through Marsis radar equipment on a spacecraft orbiting Mars Mars orbit.

Marsis cannot determine the depth of the water layer, but the team estimates a depth of at least one meter."This place is eligible to classify as a lake. A lake, not melted ice, flows into the gap between ice and rock as usual in glaciers on Earth , " said Roberto Orosei. at the Italian National Astrophysics Institute, the head of the study, said.

How is the lake found?

Marsis' data shows a high contrast area (blue) as a lake.(Photo: USGS).

Radar devices like Marsis look at the surface and intermediate soil under the planet's surface by signaling and checking feedback. The continuous white band in the radar image marks the beginning of the southernmost multi-layered sediment, where ice and dust accumulate like a thousand-layer cake. Underneath this area, researchers discovered abnormal points.

"You can see that the light blue part is where the light reflected from the bottom is stronger than reflected at the surface. For us, this is a hint of the presence of water," Professor Orosei said.

Meaning for life

"We have known for a long time that the surface of Mars is not suitable for life, so the search for life on Mars today focuses on the planet below. That's where dangerous radiation can be avoided. The pressure and temperature are more favorable, the most important is that this environment allows liquid water to exist, which is essential for life, " explains Dr. Manish Patel of the Open University, England.

The Mars Express spacecraft with a 40-meter antenna of Marsis equipment.(Photos: Pinterest).

Principles based on water resources are important in cosmology, the study of potential life outside of Earth. So, despite finding out whether liquid water exists, the team did not confirm any other information."We have not yet come close to finding life, but this discovery gives us a place to look at on Mars. It is like a treasure map, except that there will be many locations to be beaten. X mark , " BBC quoted Dr. Patel.

Temperature and chemicals in water can also be a problem for any potential life form on Mars. To maintain the liquid state in such cold conditions (the team estimates the temperature at -10 to -30 degrees C in the water where the abutment borders the upper layer), it is likely that there is a large amount of water in the country. soluble salt.

"It's probably a very cold salt water, a challenge to life," said Dr. Claire Cousins, cosmologist at St Andrews University, England.

Next step

Scientists say more research is needed to determine the characteristics of the lake."The thing to do now is to repeat the measurement in another area to look for similar evidence and, if possible, examine all hypotheses and exclusions. It may be discovered that it will open a Martian exploration mission. New to drill deep into this buried lake, similar to how it works for lakes under the Antarctic glacier, "said Dr. Matt Balme of the Open University.

However, drilling down to the surface of Mars may be an ambitious project."Going there and collecting the final evidence is not an easy task. It is necessary to launch a robot that can drill through a 1.5-kilometer thick ice sheet and develop a number of technologies that are currently unavailable," Professor Orosei said.