Signals from Below: Study Suggests Possible Presence of Liquid Water Inside Mars

A recent discovery could change everything we know about water on Mars. Researchers analyzing seismic waves on the Red Planet have found surprising clues: large amounts of liquid water might be hidden beneath its surface.

The investigation was based on data from NASA’s InSight lander, which has been monitoring Martian ground activity since 2018. While studying waves generated by meteor impacts and Marsquakes, scientists noticed an unusual slowdown in seismic waves between 5 and 8 kilometers deep. On Earth, this type of signal typically appears in areas where water seeps into porous rock formations.

According to the authors of the study, published in the journal National Science Review, this behavior may point to an underground layer saturated with liquid water — similar to Earth’s aquifers.

The estimated volume is impressive: if all this water were on the surface, it could cover the entire planet in an ocean up to 780 meters deep. “It’s like a soaked sponge inside Mars,” explained geophysicists Hrvoje Tkalčić and Weijia Sun, co-authors of the study.

Mars Once Had Water — and Maybe Still Does

Scientists have long searched for evidence of water on Mars. Areas like Jezero Crater — thought to have hosted a lake billions of years ago — are part of that puzzle. Past studies confirmed the presence of ice in some Martian regions, but actual liquid water remained a mystery.

Roughly four billion years ago, Mars likely had valleys, rivers, and lakes, along with a thicker atmosphere. Over time, however, the planet lost much of its water due to its dry climate, thin atmosphere, and intense solar radiation.

Still, that water may not have vanished entirely — it simply changed state or location. This new study rekindles hope that liquid water may still exist today beneath Mars’ surface.

Why This Discovery Matters

If confirmed, this finding would have profound implications for the future of space exploration and astrobiology. Liquid water is a key ingredient for life as we know it — and its presence on Mars could mean that microbial life may have once existed, or perhaps still does.

It also opens new possibilities for future missions to explore the planet more deeply — and perhaps one day even use these water resources to support human exploration.

Once again, Mars reminds us that its greatest secrets lie deep below the surface — we just need to listen closely.

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