China’s Zhurong rover has uncovered compelling evidence beneath the Martian surface, hinting at ancient beach-like formations, potentially linked to a vast ocean that once covered parts of the planet billions of years ago, according to a report by Reuters.
By utilizing ground-penetrating radar, the rover detected subsurface layers of material buried between 10 and 35 meters (33 to 115 feet) deep. These formations resemble coastal deposits typically found on Earth.
Spanning approximately 1.2 kilometers (three-quarters of a mile), these structures exhibit a distinctive tilt characteristic of underwater beach formations, reinforcing the hypothesis that Mars’ northern plains were once home to a significant body of water.
Scientists believe this ancient ocean, referred to as Deuteronilus, existed around 3.5 to 4 billion years ago, during a period when Mars had a denser atmosphere and a warmer climate. This environment may have been suitable for microbial life, akin to Earth’s early seas.
“The Martian surface has undergone extensive transformations over billions of years, but our radar data provides direct confirmation of buried coastal deposits,” explained planetary scientist Hai Liu of Guangzhou University, a key researcher in China’s Tianwen-1 mission.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that the ocean persisted long enough for waves to shape the landscape, distributing sediments transported by rivers from higher elevations.
Shorelines are considered prime locations for detecting signs of ancient life, emphasized study co-author Michael Manga from the University of California, Berkeley. “On Earth, life is believed to have originated near shallow water-air interfaces like these,” he stated.
The rover’s exploration of Utopia Planitia, a vast Martian plain, ruled out other possible explanations for the formations. Researchers considered alternative origins, such as wind-driven dunes, river deposits, or lava flows, but found that coastal processes best matched the observed patterns.
As Mars underwent dramatic climate shifts, Deuteronilus is thought to have vanished, with much of its water either escaping into space or becoming trapped underground.
Recent studies suggest that large reservoirs of liquid water may still be hidden beneath the planet’s surface. The newly identified formations, preserved under layers of sediment, provide fresh insights into Mars’ lost oceans and the planet’s ancient environmental conditions.
