Scientists have identified a massive reservoir of water beneath the surface of Mars located in the planet’s equator region known as the Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF). The water frozen as ice in a layer measuring over two miles (3.7 km) thick could have significant implications for future human exploration and colonization of the red planet.
Although Mars was once home to oceans of liquid water billions of years ago today any traces of H2O are well hidden. The newly found ice-rich MFF deposit located at the Martian equator offers an ideal landing spot for spacecraft due to its lower elevation and more atmospheric support for descending spacecraft.
Data from the Mars Express spacecraft indicates that if melted, the water could cover the entire surface of Mars in a liquid layer up to 8.8 feet (2.7 meters) deep equivalent to the volume of Earth’s Red Sea. While melting the ice might require ambitious drilling operations when astronauts eventually land on Mars. The potential benefits for human settlement are vast.
The top of the ice-rich layers is buried at least 1,000 feet (300 meters) below the surface possibly extending as much as 2,000 feet (600 meters) deep. The discovery opens possibilities for using the water reservoir for drinking water or cultivating crops offering essential resources for future Martian settlers.
The Medusae Fossae Formation, a vast geological formation of volcanic origin is approximately one-fifth the size of the mainland United States. It features smooth undulations along with wind-sculpted ridges and grooves visible from satellite imagery.
While previous observations from Mars Express in 2007 hinted at substantial deposits beneath the MFF. It wasn’t until recent radar data confirmed the deposits composition as frozen water. The radar observations conducted by Mars Express’s MARSIS radar revealed the deposits to be even thicker than initially thought up to 3.7 km (2.2 miles) thick.
Thomas R. Watters, a study author from the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies highlighted the importance of the discovery for understanding Mars’s paleoclimate and its potential significance for future human exploration. This newfound water source opens up new possibilities for scientific research and sustainable human habitation on Mars offering a glimmer of hope for future space exploration endeavours.
