Topographic map of Mars showing Utopian plains that may have once been an ocean
United States Geological Survey
Possible ancient coastlines have been discovered in a region of Mars explored by China’s Zhurong rover, adding further evidence that vast lowlands in Mars’ northern hemisphere may once have been covered by ocean. The evidence has been obtained.
The rover landed in the southern part of Utopia Plain in May 2021 and remained active for almost a year. Researchers studying data from the rover have found hints that there was an ancient ocean or liquid water 400,000 years ago.
now, Bo Woo Researchers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and their colleagues conducted a comprehensive analysis of the topographical features of the landing area by combining remote sensing data from satellites and observations from the spacecraft.
They say they found features consistent with the presence of a southern Utopian coastline, including valleys and sediment channels. They also determined the dating and composition of surface sediments in the area. Based on this, the research team believes that the ocean existed 3.68 billion years ago, but froze and disappeared about 260 million years later.
“This discovery not only provides further evidence in support of the Martian ocean theory, but also perhaps presents for the first time a discussion of its evolutionary scenario,” Wu said.
This area can be divided into a shallow area to the south and a deep area to the north. Wu said shallower parts of the ocean may have been up to 600 meters deep, but there isn’t enough data to estimate the ocean’s maximum depth.
“Water is an important element for life, and the presence of oceans on Mars in the past raises the possibility that Mars may once have harbored early microbial life,” he says.
Mathieu Rapport Researchers at Stanford University in California say whether early Mars had an ocean is a highly debated question with significant implications for the planet’s past habitability. He said future missions will need to test the new findings.
“Utopia Plains may constitute a valuable record of early Martian near-shore and coastal environments,” Rapport says.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
