New discovery could change understanding about Mars

Researchers have recently discovered a giant block of ice lying beneath sediment on Mars. The discovery could help us understand what the weather on Mars was like in the past.

The surface of Mars looks barren and lifeless, but it seems this red planet is hiding quite a few secrets that the human eye cannot see.

Mars once had rivers, lakes and oceans. (Photo: Future).

Luckily we have technology. Recently, a new radar search at the Medusae Fossae geological formation located on the equator of Mars revealed what looked like giant blocks of ice buried under many layers of rock several kilometers thick. .

The water is buried under a very thick layer of sediment

This research is published in Geophysical Research Letters . According to scientists, this is the largest amount of water ever found in the equatorial region of Mars. This shows us that this planet is actually not as dry and lacking in water as we think.

Scientists also added that the amount of water buried on Mars is equivalent to the amount of water in the Red Sea on Earth. If brought to the surface and "melted", that mass of water would be enough to create an ocean with a depth of 1.5-2.7 m.

The objects are believed to be giant blocks of ice buried on Mars. (Photo: ESA).

Traces of these buried ice blocks were first discovered in 2007. That year, scientists discovered they were buried under sediment at a depth of 2.5km but they did not know what they were. What.

Thanks to new tools and data, scientists were able to learn that what was found in 2007 turned out to be giant bodies of frozen water .

Geologist Thomas Watters of the Smithsonian Institution (USA) said he and his colleagues discovered the Medusae Fossae geological formation using data from the MARSIS radar on the Mars Express spacecraft.

Thereby, he realized that the sediment layers were even 3.7km thick, much thicker than initially thought.

The Medusae Fossae geological formation is a collection of giant sediments extending about 5,000km along the Martian equator. This formation is also considered the boundary between the northern and southern hemispheres of this planet.

To date, scientists do not know what created such sediment layers, only that they are very large and up to several kilometers thick.

Scientists discovered ice on Mars thanks to radar on the Mars Express spacecraft. (Photo: ESA).

Finding that Mars has water is a good sign

Over the past few decades, exploration of Mars has grown and our previous understanding has changed significantly.

On the surface, we see that Mars was once a planet with water. Water flows into rivers, stagnates into lakes or oceans. But currently, this planet is just a barren mass on the surface.

In the past, scientists have always wondered how water on Mars disappears, whether it evaporates or is buried underground. And recent discoveries have helped researchers get the answer. Water on Mars has been "locked up" where we cannot see it.

Scientists want to learn about the planet's water for a very practical reason, too. When humans arrive on this planet, they will need water to survive. If Mars actually has a local water source, people could reduce the amount of water they need to carry.

Unfortunately, the water in the Medusae Fossae geological formation is beyond the reach of humans. Because it is buried under kilometers of soil and rock, we cannot access this water source.

However, the new discovery still gives scientists hope that water may be "hiding" elsewhere on Mars. The research also provides more information to learn about the planet's changes in the past.

"When did these "ice deposits" form, and what did Mars look like at that time? If what we discover is really ice, these giant ice deposits will greatly change our understanding of history. climate history of Mars ," Mr. Thomas Watters told ScienceAlert.