Lake discovered on Mars: what next

Scientists have announced that for the first time they have discovered evidence of liquid water on Mars.

Фото: Depositphotos

The lake is about 20 km in size in diameter and is located at the southern pole of the planet and is hidden by a thick ice cap.

The discovery was made using the Marsis radar installed on the Mars Express interplanetary station.

Previously, researchers assumed that melting glacier water could sometimes spill over the surface of Mars (given the low pressure, it should evaporate very quickly), but for the first time, there was reason to believe that there is a permanent liquid reservoir on the Red Planet.

NASA's Curiosity rover discovered only dry lakes on the planet's surface, proving that there was water on Mars in the past.

However, since then, the temperature on the planet has dropped significantly due to a very thin atmosphere - and most of the water has turned into ice.

The lake is hidden under a thick layer of ice. Photo: NASA / JPL / MALIN SPACE SCIENCE SYSTEMS

“It may not be a very large lake,” says study leader Roberto Orosei, a professor at the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics.

The radar could not measure the thickness of the water layer, but scientists believe that it is no less than a meter.

“This allows it to be classified as a water reservoir in its own right. “This is a lake, and not just a space filled with meltwater between ice and rock, which can sometimes be found under glaciers on Earth,” he adds.

"Mars Express" studies the surface of the Red Planet (picture), and above - the results of the radar. Photo: ESA/INAF

How was the lake discovered?

Marsis Radar explores the surface of the planet and the upper layers of the soil, radiating electromagnetic waves and studying the reflected signal.

The continuous light line in the photo just above displays the upper layer of sediment at the south pole of the planet. It is a pasty mixture consisting of dust and frozen water.

However, under it, scientists have discovered something unusual.

“The blue color indicates an area that reflects the signal much better than the surface of the planet. For us, this is an indicator of the availability of water,” explains Professor Orosei.

The area with a high reflectivity is indicated in blue - that same lake. Photo: USGS ASTROGEOLOGY SCIENCE CENTER, ARIZONA STATE UN

Does this mean that life is possible on Mars?

Definitely no answer to this question. While it is impossible.

“We have long known that the surface of Mars is uninhabitable for life as we know it. So we turned to the top layers of soil in our search for life,” explains Open University professor Manish Patel. - There you can find sufficient protection from harmful radiation, and the pressure and temperature rise to more acceptable levels. But the main thing is that it is in such conditions that water, which forms the basis of life, can exist in a liquid state.”

“Look for water” - this is the basic principle of astrobiology - a science that studies the possibility of the existence of life beyond the Earth.

In this way, the new discovery makes it more likely that water is available, but it doesn’t confirm anything else.

“We're no closer to finding life itself,” says Patel, “but this discovery tells us exactly where to look for it on Mars. It’s like a treasure map - only in this case there may be a lot of crosses on it.”

Astrobiologists study extreme environmental conditions, including the salty lakes of the Earth. Photo: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

The temperature of the water and its chemical composition may also be a problem for possible Martian organisms.

In order for the water to remain in a liquid state in such a cold (according to scientists' calculations, the glacial layer begins to melt at a depth where the temperature is from –10 to –30 degrees), a lot of salt must be dissolved in it.

“It is likely that this water is an extremely cold brine solution, which is not the most ideal conditions for life, to put it mildly,” explains the astrobiologist at the University of St. Andrews.

What's next?

Although the very existence of the water reservoir excites the imagination of those interested in the possibility of life on Mars - even in the past - the characteristics of the lake still need to be confirmed by further research.

“We now need to repeat the measurements in other locations to look for similar signals, think about other possible reasons for these results and – hopefully – rule out any alternative explanations,” explains Open University professor Matt Balmy.

“Perhaps this will serve as a starting point for organizing a new launch to Mars to drill a well to this water pocket - as was done with the Earth’s lakes hidden under the Antarctic glaciers,” he says.

Lake Vostok was discovered under the 4-kilometer layer of Antarctic ice. Photo: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Scientists have already announced the discovery of bacterial life in the depths of Antarctic Lake Vostok, but drilling on Mars is a much more ambitious project.

“Getting there and finally making sure that it is a lake is not an easy task,” says Professor Orosei.

“This will require a flying robot capable of drilling a 1,5-kilometer hole in the ice. At the moment, such technologies simply do not exist,” he concludes.

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