The reserves of ice, which can be used by future colonizers of Mars, under the surface of the Red Planet are sufficient to fully meet the needs of the space mission in water. According to the results of NASA research, underground ice on Mars covers an area of more than 315 thousand square kilometers, reports the Seeker portal.
Despite the fact that the overall surface of Mars is considered more barren (and much more toxic) than the driest desert on Earth, NASA specialists have discovered huge reserves of underground water ice. They believe that in the future it can be used to provide water to explorers and colonizers of Mars.
Most experts agree that the key to the survival of future settlers on Mars will be the efficient use of the resources already present on the Red Planet. That is why NASA is convinced that the landing site for future Mars explorers should be chosen taking into account the proximity of the water source.
As experts explain, future colonizers need water not only to maintain their own lives, but also to produce fuel, and will also be used in agriculture. That is why the discovery of a new underground reservoir of frozen water is so inspiring for astrophysicists.
“This field is probably more accessible than most water ice sources on Mars because it is located in relatively low latitudes and lies on flat, level terrain where it will be easier to land a spacecraft than in other areas with underground ice.” told Jack Holt of the University of Texas.
The field was discovered beneath the famous Utopia Plain, where NASA's Viking 2 robotic module landed on the planet's surface in 1976. The field data was obtained using the radar of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter research station.
The ice thickness in this field varies from 80 to 170 meters. The deposit consists of 50–85% water, and an underground reservoir separates a layer of soil 1 to 10 meters thick from the planet's surface. Such a thickness of the protective layer will make it relatively easy for future colonizers to drill through the reservoir and extract water by treating pieces of ice on the surface or directly heat the layer and pump out liquid water.
The Plain of Utopia is located between the North Pole and the equator of the planet, where, under current conditions, water ice cannot remain on the surface. It is believed that ice in this area accumulated in the distant past, when the axis of the planet had a much greater tilt than it is now. Scientists note that the tilt of Mars changes significantly over the 120-thousand-year cycle. The planet's tilt axis is now about 25 degrees, but it can tilt 60 degrees. This wide range is causing significant climatic changes on the planet, which in the past have caused ice, which usually accumulates at the poles, to shift to lower latitudes.
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Note that this is the first conclusive evidence of ice under the surface of the Utopia Plain. Earlier in this area of the planet, signs of ancient river channels were discovered, through which, as researchers believe, water flowed from melted underground glaciers.
Scientists hope that by taking ice samples from an open field, they will also be able to uncover the secrets of Martian glaciers and climate change on the Red Planet in the distant past.