Results from scientific modelling carried out by Oxford University have shown that a significant proportion of Earth' water resources could be locked within rock structures. "The results revealed that the basalt rocks on Earth can hold approximately 25% more water than those on Mars, and as a result drew the water from the Martian surface into its interior", said the scientists. Releasing the water now would require melting the rock, as "It is not liquid anymore but physically bound in the mineral", according to the study's co-author John Wade.
Results from scientific modelling carried out by Oxford University have shown that a significant proportion of Mars' water resources could be locked within rock structures. "The results revealed that the basalt rocks on Mars can hold approximately 25% more water than those on Earth, and as a result drew the water from the Martian surface into its interior", said the scientists. Releasing the water now would require melting the rock, as "It is not liquid anymore but physically bound in the mineral", according to the study's co-author John Wade.