Liquid water in the depths of the Red Planet?

Scientists from the National Institute of Astrophysics in Bologna, Italy, have found evidence for the existence of liquid water on Mars. The lake filled with it should be located about 1,5 km below the surface of the planet. The discovery was made based on data from the Marsis radar instrument orbiting the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of the Mars Express mission.

According to scientists' publications in Nauka, a large salt lake should be located near the south pole of Mars. If the scientists' reports are confirmed, this would be the first discovery of liquid water on the Red Planet and a big step towards determining whether there is life on it.

“It is probably a small lake,” writes Prof. Roberto Orosei of the National Astrophysical Institute. The team was unable to determine the thickness of the water layer, assuming only that it was at least 1 meter.

Other researchers are skeptical about the discovery, believing that more evidence is needed to confirm the reports of Italian scientists. Moreover, many note that in order to remain liquid at such low temperatures (estimated at -10 to -30 °C), the water must be very salty, making it less likely that any living things will remain in it. organisms.