[ad_1]
Located under a layer of Martian ice, the lake is about 20 kilometers wide, according to a report published by Italian researchers in the American journal Science
. the red planet.
"This is an amazing result that suggests that water on Mars is not a temporary net as previous discoveries but a persistent water plan that provides living conditions for long periods of time. Times "Alan Duffy, associate told the University of Swinburne in Australia, who was not involved in the study,
Mars is now cold, barren and dry, but it was hot and wet. It was home to a lot of liquid water and lakes at least 3.6 billion years ago.
Scientists are eager to find signs of contemporary water, because such discoveries are essential to uncover the mystery of whether life has formed on Mars in its ancient past or if it could persist today.
could also help humans survive during a future crewed mission on the planet next to Earth
However, this particular lake would not be potable and would be 1.5 kilometers below the surface icy in a harsh and icy environment.
The question of whether microbial life forms are found in the interior is a subject of debate
Some experts are skeptical about the possibility of a cold, brackish lake mixed with a high dose dissolved salts and minerals. ] The temperature is probably lower than the freezing point of pure water, but it can remain liquid due to the presence of magnesium, calcium and sodium
"This is a discovery of the world. An extraordinary significance that can only reinforce speculation Fred Watson, of the Australian Astronomical Observatory, said: "Caution is required because the concentration of salts needed to maintain liquid water could be fatal for any microbial life Watson, who has not been involved in the research, added
The discovery was made using radar instruments on board the Mars Express orbiter of the day. European Space Agency, launched in 2003.
The tool called Mars Advanced Radar for the underground and ionospheric sounding (MARSIS), was designed to find groundwater by sending impulses radar that penetrate d in the surface and ice caps
MARSIS "These reflections" provide scientists with information about what lies beneath the surface "
Roberto Orosei, principal author of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Bologna (Italy) ), investigated the subject. a region called Planum Austral, located in the southern ice cap of Mars, from May 2012 to December 2015. A total of 29 sets of radar samplings showed a "very abrupt change in its associated radar signal", allowing scientists to map the contours of the lake.
"The radar profile of this area is similar to that of the liquid water lakes found under the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets on Earth, suggesting that there is a lake under -glacial at this location on Mars, "said the report.
"It's the first water plane that it has detected, so it's very exciting," said David Stillman, senior researcher at the Space Studies Department of Southwest Research Institute in Texas. AFP in an email.
However, Stillman, who was not involved in the research, said that another spacecraft, or other instruments, needed to be able to confirm the discovery.
He noted that a higher frequency radar instrument made by the Italian space agency, SHARAD, aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launched in 2005, was unable to detect the water underground.
"It is strange that SHARAD can not confirm this discovery, in fact, SHARAD can not cross the ice here and no one understands why"
"This suggests that something is going on here. 39, strange here, so I'm skeptical about this discovery. "
But researchers are excited about the potential for future discoveries, because if" There's nothing special about this place except that The Mars Express MARSIS radar is the most sensitive to this region, which means that there are probably similar water deposits. be down the ground through Mars, "said Duffy.
[ad_2]
Source link
