A team of scientists, led by Bruce Jakosky, has challenged a recent study suggesting that Mars retains significant amounts of liquid water in its mid-crust. The analysis, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used data from NASA’s InSight mission to determine what types of rocks and pore space characteristics could account for seismic and gravity data collected from the mid-crust.
According to the original study, a mid-crust made up of fractured igneous rocks saturated with liquid water “best explains” the existing data. However, Jakosky’s reexamination of the model results took into account how the pore space is distributed and other conditions, such as solid ice or empty pore spaces.
While the InSight data do not require the presence of water in the mid-crust, Jakosky found that they also do not rule it out. His analysis expanded the lower limit of the global equivalent layer, which could range from zero to two kilometers. This new estimate raises questions about the amount of water present in Mars’s crust and its potential implications for future missions.
The findings have significant implications for understanding the red planet’s water cycle, its potential conditions for life, and the availability of resources for future missions. Further research, including more detailed geological analysis and advanced seismic profiling, is needed to answer these questions and shed light on the mysteries of Mars’ water.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-03-mars-debate-analysis-previous.html