Study published in the magazine Natural Earth Science: Planetary researchers used high-resolution images and compositional data captured by orbiting satellites to understand the geology of thousands of kilometers of hills in the northern and western lowlands. Maurus Gorge, a plateau located on the highland side of the hemisphere bisection boundary of Mars.
Rising hundreds of meters above the surrounding lowlands, two Martian hills reveal bright areas rich in clay minerals. Image credits: ESA / TGO / CaSSIS / NASA / JPL / MSSS / Murray Lab.
A research team led by scientist Joe McNeil from the Natural History Museum in London found that the mounds are the remains of ancient highlands that retreated hundreds of kilometers after erosion carved out the landscape billions of years ago. .
These actions played a key role in shaping the Martian landscape, which separates the planet's low-lying northern hemisphere from its high-lying southern hemisphere.
This mound is made of layered deposits containing clay minerals, formed by water interacting with rock over millions of years.
These clay layers are sandwiched between older non-clay layers below and younger non-clay layers above, marking distinct geological events in Mars' history.
“These mounds are incredibly interesting because they preserve the complete water history of this area within an accessible, continuous rock outcrop,” Dr. McNeil said.
“They are prime locations for future missions aimed at determining whether Mars once had an ocean and whether life could exist there.”
The authors also found that these mounds are geologically connected to nearby plains. Oxia Planum -ESA's Rosalind Franklin spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2028 searching for signs of past and present life.
“Mars' lack of plate tectonics means it still has much of its ancient geology, so Mars is a model of what early Earth was like,” McNeil said. the doctor said.
“The more missions that visit Mars, the more we will be able to dig deeper into our planet's history and discover how life began.”
“As part of the Natural History Museum's mission to transform natural history science, our research focuses on providing solutions from and for nature.”
“This research is part of our Planetary Origins and Evolution research theme, which explores the origins and systems that underpin the evolution of the Earth, Moon, and planetary systems.”
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JD McNeil others. Dichotomous regression and aquatic alteration of Noachian Mars are recorded in highland remnants. Nat. Earth Science published online on January 20, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41561-024-01634-8
This article is based on a press release provided by the Natural History Museum, London.
Source: www.sci.news
