An immense reservoir of liquid water may lie deep under the surface of Mars, a study released Monday (August 12) using data from NASA's Mars InSight lander showed.
The reservoir, located about 7.2 to 12.4 miles (11.5 to 20 km) below the Martian surface within fractured igneous rocks, could hold enough water to fill an ocean that would cover the entire surface of Earth's planetary neighbor.
Liquid water far below the surface of the fourth planet potentially offers conditions favorable to sustain microbial life, either in the past or now, the researchers said.
The discovery advances the search for life beyond Earth and shows what might have happened to Mars' ancient oceans.
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