China's Mars rover Zhurong has made a groundbreaking discovery, providing new evidence that Mars might have once harbored a vast ancient ocean. This revelation offers significant insights into the planet’s history and its potential to support life.
In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers combined data from Zhurong and remote sensing observations to identify geological features indicative of a nearshore environment in Mars' northern lowlands. The rover, part of the Tianwen-1 mission, landed in Utopia Planitia in 2021 with the goal of exploring Martian geology.
Recent analyses suggest that Utopia Planitia experienced significant flooding around 3.68 billion years ago. Bo Wu, a planetary scientist from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, stated, \"The ocean surface was likely frozen for a geologically short period.\"
The study highlights diverse marine landscape features in southern Utopia, including transitions between highlands and lowlands, shallow marine zones, and deeper marine environments. These findings indicate a complex evolution of Mars' northern lowlands, with water reaching these areas during the Late Noachian epoch.
Researchers estimate that this ancient ocean disappeared approximately 3.42 billion years ago, as Mars transitioned into the cold, arid planet we observe today. Co-author Sergey Krasilnikov noted, \"The water was heavily silted, forming the layering structure of the deposits.\"
Reference(s):
China's Zhurong rover uncovers new evidence of ancient ocean on Mars
cgtn.com
