Salty Lakes Found Beneath Mars' Surface
The potential underground salt lake reported by the Mars Express spacecraft in 2018 is located near the planet's permanent south polar ice cap. (Credit: USGS Astrogeology Science Center, Arizona State University, INAF) Two years ago, planetary scientists were abuzz with the potential discovery of a subsurface lake on Mars — buried deep beneath layers of ice and dust at the planet's south pole. Now, new research adds more weight to that possibility, suggesting there is not just one but several briney lakes. These aquifers would represent the first known martian bodies of liquid water — albeit extremely salty water. Taken with other recent discoveries — such as lakes beneath the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres — it is part of a growing picture that liquid water is more widespread in the solar system than previously thought. Looking Salty In 2018, an Italian team of researchers announced evidence of salt water beneath the southern polar cap of Mars: the radar sounder of th