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No Cryosphere‐Confined Aquifer Below InSight on Mars
Author(s) -
Manga Michael,
Wright Vanshan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2021gl093127
Subject(s) - aquifer , geology , martian , cryosphere , hydrogeology , mars exploration program , seismometer , crust , geophysics , petrology , geomorphology , groundwater , seismology , astrobiology , geotechnical engineering , sea ice , oceanography , physics
The seismometer deployed by the InSight lander measured the seismic velocity of the Martian crust. We use a rock physics model to interpret those velocities and constrain hydrogeological properties. The seismic velocity of the upper ∼10 km is too low to be ice‐saturated. Hence there is no cryosphere that confines deeper aquifers and possibly no aquifers locally. An increase in seismic velocity at depths of ∼10 km could be explained by a few volume percent of mineral cement (1%–5%) in pore space and may document the past depth of aquifers.
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