New Evidence For Liquid Water On Mars
An Anonymous Coward writes:
The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, utilized laser-altimeter data from spacecraft to uncover subtle patterns in the ice cap's height. After that, they demonstrated how these patterns corresponded to computer model predictions of the effects that a body of water under the ice cap would have on the surface.
Their findings are consistent with prior ice-penetrating radar readings, that were originally interpreted to indicate the possibility of a liquid water region under the ice. There is disagreement over the interpretation of liquid water based only on radar data, with some researchers arguing that the radar signal is not caused by liquid water.
The combination of the new topographic evidence, our computer model results, and the radar data make it much more likely that at least one area of subglacial liquid water exists on Mars today, and that Mars must still be geothermally active in order to keep the water beneath the ice cap liquid," said Professor Neil Arnold from Cambridge's Scott Polar Research Institute, who led the research.
[...] The quality of data coming back from Mars, from orbital satellites as well as from the landers, is such that we can use it to answer really difficult questions about conditions on, and even under the planet's surface, using the same techniques we also use on Earth," said Arnold. It's exciting to use these techniques to find out things about planets other than our own."
Reference: Surface topographic impact of subglacial water beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars" by N. S. Arnold, F. E. G. Butcher, S. J. Conway, C. Gallagher and M. R. Balme, 29 September 2022, Nature Astronomy.
DOI: 10.1038/s41550-022-01782-0
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.