Is there something out there? First lake of liquid water discovered on Mars
An enormous underground lake has been detected for the first time on Mars, raising the possibility that more water, and maybe even life, exists there, international astronomers said.
Located under a layer of Martian ice, the lake is about 20 kilometres wide, said the report led by Italian researchers in US journal Science.
It is the largest body of liquid water found on the Red Planet.
“This is a stunning result that suggests water on Mars is not a temporary trickle like previous discoveries, but a persistent body of water that provides the conditions for life for extended periods of time,” said Alan Duffy, an associate professor at Swinburne University in Australia, who was not involved in the study.
Mars is now cold, barren and dry, but used to be warm and wet. It was home to liquid water and lakes at least 3.6 billion years ago.
Scientists are eager to find signs of contemporary water, because such discoveries are key to unlocking the mystery of whether life ever formed on Mars in its past, or might persist today.
Access to water could also help humans survive on future mission to Earth’s neighbour. This lake, however, would not be drinkable, and lies almost 1.5km beneath the surface, in a harsh, frigid environment.
Whether microbial forms of life lie within is up for debate.
Some experts are sceptical because the lake is so cold and briny, with a heavy dose of dissolved salts and minerals.
The temperature is probably below the freezing point of pure water, but can remain liquid because of the presence of magnesium, calcium and sodium.
“This is a discovery of extraordinary significance,” said Fred Watson, of the Australian Astronomical Observatory, who was not involved in the research.
“Caution needs to be exercised, however, as the concentration of salts needed to keep the water liquid could be fatal for any microbial life similar to Earth’s.”
The discovery was made using radar instruments on board the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter, which was launched in 2003.
The tool was designed to find subsurface water by sending radar pulses that penetrate the surface and ice caps.