Mars may still host active groundwater deep beneath its surface, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Southern California.

After closely analyzing a phenomenon known as "recurrent slope linea," estimated to be the dry signatures left by short-lived streams, scientists determined deep groundwater on Mars is likely not relegated to the poles.

Researchers have previously argued surface water activity accounts for the recurrent slope linea found on the walls of Martian craters.

"We suggest that this may not be true," Essam Heggy, a scientist working on ESA's Mars Express Sounding radar experiment, called MARSIS, said in a news release. "We propose an alternative hypothesis that they originate from a deep pressurized groundwater source which comes to the surface moving upward along ground cracks."

Heggy is an expert on groundwater systems, and his observation of deep-lying groundwater in otherwise dry places, including in the North African Sahara and in the Arabian Peninsula, led him to consider the possibility that similar groundwater activity is present deep beneath the Martian surface.

Abotalib Z. Abotalib, a postdoctoral research associate at USC, examined the evidence and determined deep Martian spring water could rise through fissures in crater walls, causing recurrent slope linea. High-resolution images of Mars' surface suggest the sources of recurrent slope linea are located near tectonic and impact-related fractures.

Scientists have previously used electromagnetic echoes sent from radar-probing spacecraft orbiting Mars to search for water beneath the surface of the Red Planet. So far, such surveys have only turned up evidence of groundwater beneath Mars' southern pole.

Heggy and Abotalib hypothesize that a deeper and more extensive groundwater systems stretches far beyond Mars' south pole. The duo detailed their hypothesis in a paper published Thursday in the journal Nature Geoscience.

The authors of the new paper hope their findings inspire ESA, NASA and other space agencies to develop technologies capable of exploring deep Martian fissures and detecting deep-lying water.

As scientists have gained a better and better understanding of Mars, a growing body of evidence suggests Earth and the Red Planet are more similar than previously thought. By understanding Mars' groundwater system and its evolutionary history, scientists can gain a better understanding of Earth's past and future.

"It helps us to understand the similarities to our own planet and if we are going through the same climate evolution and the same path that Mars is going," Heggy said. "Understanding Mars' evolution is crucial for understanding our own Earth's long-term evolution and groundwater is a key element in this process."

Related Links
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Pathfinder Rover May Have Explored Edges of Early Mars Sea in 1997
Tucson AZ (SPX) Mar 15, 2019
NASA's first rover mission to Mars, the Pathfinder, imaged an extraterrestrial marine spillover landscape 22 years ago, according to a new paper by Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Alexis Rodriguez. The landing site is on the spillway of an ancient sea that experienced catastrophic floods released from the planet's subsurface and its sediments. This could potentially yield evidence of Martian habitability, said Rodriguez, lead author on "The 1997 Mars Pathfinder Spacecraft Landing Site ... read more