By analyzing the water content of two martian meteorites that originate from inside Mars, scientists have determined that the amount of water in places of the martian mantle is vastly larger than previous estimates. The results affect what we know about the geologic history of Mars and have implications for how water got to the martian surface. The findings also raise questions about whether or not Mars could have sustained life.

The research was led by former Carnegie postdoctoral scientist Francis McCubbin, now at the University of New Mexico. The analysis was performed by Carnegie Institution investigator Erik Hauri and team and is published in the journal Geology.