NASA recently shared data collected by the Mars InSight lander, which stopped working nearly two years ago. These findings reveal that the lander detected signs of large amounts of water beneath Mars’ surface.
From 2018 to 2022, InSight recorded seismic activity (like earthquakes, but on Mars, called marsquakes). Using a special instrument, it captured seismic waves, similar to how we locate oil deep underground on Earth.
InSight’s readings suggest there could be water located 7 to 12 miles below the Martian surface. NASA scientists think there might be enough water hidden in the planet’s crust to have once filled Mars’ oceans.
“Understanding the Martian water cycle is key to learning about the planet’s climate, surface, and interior,” said Vashan Wright, a lead researcher on the project from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
This discovery might also explain what happened to the water that used to flow on Mars about 3 billion years ago, back when the planet was warmer and more similar to Earth. At that time, Mars had a thicker atmosphere and may have even been habitable.
While scientists have already found ice caps on Mars, this is the first evidence that much of the water might have gone underground—similar to Earth, where most of our water is also hidden beneath the surface.
However, accessing this water would be difficult. It’s buried deep underground, and we currently don’t have the technology to extract it safely, especially given the challenges of transporting equipment to Mars.
Even so, knowing where the water is located helps guide future efforts to search for life on Mars.
