Researchers
have found evidence of an existing body of water on Mars, according to the BBC.
The proposed
‘lake’ sits beneath the planet’s south polar ice cap, and is about 20km (12
miles) across.
Previous
research found potential signs of intermittent liquid water flowing, but this
is the first sign of a persistent body of water on the planet in the present
day.
ITV reported
that dissolved salts are thought to keep the water fluid, despite having a
temperature below freezing point.
The
discovery, which has major implications for the chances of life surviving on
the Red Planet, was made by an orbiting European probe using ground-penetrating
radar.
Apparently,
the ‘lake’ lies about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 miles) beneath the surface of a
region called Planum Australe, close to the Martian south pole.
With surface
temperatures as low as minus 68C, it would not exist as a liquid under normal
conditions.
Prof Roberto
Orosei from the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics, who led the study,
said: “It’s probably not a very large lake.
“This really
qualifies this as a body of water. A lake, not some kind of meltwater filling
some space between rock and ice, as happens in certain glaciers on Earth.”
The BBC
reported that this means ‘nothing definite’ for life on the planet. Dr Manish
Patel from the Open University explains: “We have long since known that the
surface of Mars is inhospitable to life as we know it, so the search for life
on Mars is now in the subsurface.
“This is
where we get sufficient protection from harmful radiation, and the pressure and
temperature rise to more favourable levels. Most importantly, this allows
liquid water, essential for life.”
NASA handout
of an artists impression of a Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter over the Martian
surface. Credit: PA
Dr Patel
told BBC News: “We are not closer to actually detecting life but what this
finding does is give us the location of where to look on Mars. It is like a
treasure map – except in this case, there will be lots of ‘X’s marking the
spots.”
Dr Matt
Balme from the Open University explained that the measurements need to be
repeated elsewhere to look for ‘similar signals’.
He added:
“Maybe this could even be the trigger for an ambitious new Mars mission to
drill into this buried water-pocket – like has been done for sub-glacial lakes
in Antarctica on Earth.”
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Image Credit: PA
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