研究表明，火星表面之下埋藏了大量的水

Water Is Buried Beneath Mars¹’ Surface, Study Says

A huge lake of salty water appears to be buried deep in Mars, scientists reported this week. The presence² of water raises the chances of finding³ life on the red planet⁴.

The discovery is based on observations by a European spacecraft. It has excited experts. Water is necessary for life, and scientists have long hoped to prove that it is present on Mars.

Cassie Stuurman is a geophysicist at the University of Texas. In 2016, she found evidence of a huge ice deposit⁵ on Mars.

“If these researchers are right, this is the first time we’ve found evidence of a large water body on Mars,” Stuurman said.

Scott Hubbard, a professor of astronautics at Stanford University, is also excited about the discovery. He served as NASA’s first Mars program director in 2000. He said NASA has long believed in “following the water.” He is pleased that the new discovery supports that idea.

The study was published in the journal⁶ Science. Researchers are not yet sure how deep the area of water is. So, they cannot say whether it is an underground pool, an aquifer⁷-like body, or just an area of soft, wet soil.

To find the water, Italian researchers examined radar⁸ signals. The signals were collected over three years by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft. The results suggest that a 20-kilometer-wide water body lies below ice that is 1.5 kilometers thick. They believe the area is close to the planet’s southern pole.

Researchers spent at least two years examining the data to make sure they had found water – and not ice or another substance.

“I really have no other explanation,” said astrophysicist Roberto Orosei of Italy’s National Institute of Astrophysics in Bologna. He is lead writer of the study.

Mars is very cold, but salt in the water may have kept it from freezing. It is the same as when you put salt on a road to prevent ice from forming, said Kirsten Siebach. She is a planetary geologist⁹ at Rice University. She was not part of the study.

“This water would be extremely cold, right at the point where it’s about to freeze. And it would be salty.”

Siebach added that such conditions are not ideal¹⁰ for life to form. But, she said, there are bacteria on Earth that have been able to survive in similar conditions.

Roberto Orosei said it is easy to think that the water body is the first place where life could exist on Mars. But he believes the planet may have other hidden bodies of water, waiting to be discovered.

Mars has been a popular planet for exploration, with some groups placing instruments on its surface and others examining it from space. In May, NASA launched¹¹ another spacecraft, the InSight¹² Mars lander. It will dig under the surface after it reaches a flat area of the planet in November.

I’m Lucija Millonig.

Words in This Story

spacecraft – n. a vehicle that is used for travel in outer space

geophysicist – n. a scientist whose study deals with the physical movements and forces of the Earth

deposit – n. an amount of something (such as sand, snow, or mud) that has formed or been left on a surface or area over a period of time

astronautics – n. the science and technology of human space travel and exploration

pool – n. a small area of water

aquifer – n. a layer of rock or sand that can absorb and hold water

pole – n. either end of the imaginary¹³ line around which something, such as a planet, turns

geologist – n. a scientist who studies rocks, layers of soil, et cetera, in order to learn about the history of the Earth and its life

ideal – adj. exactly right for a particular purpose, situation, or person

1 Mars   

n.火星，战争

参考例句：

• As of now we don't know much about Mars.目前我们对火星还知之甚少。
• He contended that there must be life on Mars.他坚信火星上面一定有生物。

2 presence   

n.出席；到场；存在

参考例句：

• Her presence lent an air of respectability to the occasion.她的到场使那种场合增添了崇高的气氛。
• His presence is indicative of his willingness to help.他的出席表示他愿意帮忙。

3 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

4 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

5 deposit   

n.定金，存款，矿藏；vt.使沉淀，寄存，储蓄

参考例句：

• There is too much deposit in a bottle of wine.酒瓶里有太多的沉淀物。
• The hotel requires a deposit for all advance bookings.旅馆规定凡预订房间都要先付订金。

6 journal   

n.日志，日记；议事录；日记帐；杂志，定期刊物

参考例句：

• He kept a journal during his visit to Japan.他在访问日本期间坚持记日记。
• He got a job as editor of a trade journal.他找到了一份当商业杂志编辑的工作。

7 aquifer   

n.含水土层

参考例句：

• An aquifer is a water-bearing rock stratum such as sandstone and chalk.地下蓄水层是一些有水的岩石层，如沙岩和白垩岩。
• The wine region's first water came from an ancient aquifer.用来灌溉这个地区葡萄园的第一批水来自古老的地下蓄水层。

8 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

9 geologist   

n.地质学家

参考例句：

• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。
• He was a geologist,rated by his cronies as the best in the business.他是一位地质学家，被他的老朋友们看做是这门行当中最好的一位。

10 ideal   

adj.理想的，完美的；空想的，观念的；n.理想

参考例句：

• The weather at the seaside was ideal—bright and breezy.海边的天气最宜人，风和日丽的。
• They promised to be faithful to their ideal for ever. 他们保证永远忠于自己的理想。

11 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

12 insight   

n.洞察力，洞悉，深刻的见解

参考例句：

• Good teachers have insight into the problems of students.好的教师能洞察学生的问题。
• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。

13 imaginary   

adj.想象中的，假想的，虚构的，幻想的；虚数的

参考例句：

• All the characters in this book are imaginary.此书中的所有人物都是虚构的。
• The boy's fears were only imaginary.这小孩的恐惧只是一种想象。