Much More Water than Expected in Martian Surface

The scientists of U.S. NASA announced on the 1st that vast regions of Mars might abound in water in the shape of ice mixed in with the dirt, dust and rock.

According to the initial data Mars Odyssey spacecraft sent, which NASA`s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) analyzed, there seems to be ice mixed in with the dirt and rock that form the top 3 feet of the planet’s surface. Scientists have long known that there is water on Mars. However, the suggestion that it is present in such quantities could bolster the theory that the planet could have harbored life. The water might cover a vast area that stretches from the frozen southern polar cap northward to about 60 degrees south latitude, said the scientists.

Roger Gibbs, the Odyssey deputy project manager said, “the results are exceeding our expectations. ”Odyssey will continue its mapping mission for 917 days, and map the chemical and elemental makeup of the Martian surface, and hunt for water and hot springs that could indicate geothermal activity.

Pasadena AP Yonhap