This is the gigantic water reservoir on Mars that could change the fate of humanity

Though it is covered in a layer of dust, scientists are learning that Mars is home to deep ice deposits outside of its poles. The presence of water is an important factor for researchers as they begin to uncover conditions on the Red Planet.

The paper that contained these findings was released in late 2024 in a paper led by the Smithsonian Smithsonian senior scientist emeritus Thomas R. Watters.

In November, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum published a short blog on the paper’s findings, highlighting comments by Watters about what they mean for human exploration of our neighboring planet.

“An ice-rich MFF deposit has important implications for the paleoclimate of Mars and could be potentially of great value to future human exploration of Mars,” explained Watters. Scientists have long been aware of the rich ice deposits on Mars’ north and south poles, and though they give hope to some about a future where humans make it to Mars, they are buried deep under hundreds of meters of dust.

Where on Mars are these new ice deposits located?

Watters focused their study on Mars’ Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF), a geological formation on the Martian equator that expands over 5,000 kilometers squared. Watters estimates that the MFF ice deposits contain up to half of the water held in Mars’ northern ice cap, which is a total that exceeds the volume in the Great Lakes of North America.

To identify the reserves, the researchers compared the radar sounder data at the MFF to the ice deposits located at the Mars poles and found similarities in their readings. “The volume of water is enough to cover the surface of Mars to a depth of about 1.5 to 3 meters (about 5 to 10 feet),” reports the Smithsonian. These water resources would be critical to supporting life that survives on Earth.

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