US EditionChinese Rover Uncovers Evidence of Ancient Ocean Shorelines on Mars
- Evidence from China's Zhurong Mars rover suggests that Mars may have had sandy beaches and ocean conditions suitable for life for tens of millions of years, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- Researchers found layered structures resembling Earth's beach formations, which may indicate that Mars' northern lowlands were once covered by a substantial ocean.
- The study highlights that warm, wet conditions on Mars could have supported microbial life in ancient habitats, as noted by geologist Benjamin Cardenas.
- The findings provide critical insights into Mars' geological history and potential for ancient microbial life, guiding future searches for signs of ancient life by identifying areas of historical habitability.
96 Articles
96 Articles
Rover Finds the Shoreline of an Ancient Beach on Mars
Data from the Chinese rover Zhurong is adding to the pile of evidence for oceans on ancient Mars. For a year, this little craft traveled over nearly two kilometers of the Martian surface and made radar scans of buried natural structures that look like ocean shorelines. Zhurong’s ground-penetrating radar (GPR) looked under the surface to a depth of 80 meters. There, the radar instrument found thick layers of material similar to beach deposits on …
Detection of ferrihydrite in Martian red dust records ancient cold and wet conditions on Mars
Iron oxide-hydroxide minerals in Martian dust provide crucial insights into Mars’ past climate and habitability. Previous studies attributed Mars’ red color to anhydrous hematite formed through recent weathering. Here, we show that poorly crystalline ferrihydrite (Fe5O8H · nH2O) is the dominant iron oxide-bearing phase in Martian dust, based on combined analyses of orbital, in-situ, and laboratory visible near-infrared spectra. Spectroscopic ana…
New Research Challenges Theory on Why Mars is Red
Mars’ red dust may have formed in the presence of water. Credit: Kevin M. Gill / CC BY 2.0 For centuries, Mars has been known as the “Red Planet,” but scientists may have just uncovered the true source of its distinctive red color, challenging long-held theories about the planet’s history. New research suggests that Mars’ red dust likely comes from ferrihydrite, a mineral that forms in water, rather than hematite, a dry iron oxide once believed …
New evidence suggests that Mars used to have an ocean and sandy beaches
Researchers just discovered evidence to suggest that Mars was once home to oceans and sandy beaches on the red planet, according to data published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This is a far cry from the arid, freezing and radiation-filled conditions of modern Mars. Scientists discovered evidence of buried beaches after they analyzed below-ground imaging data from China’s Zhurong rover. This data from the northern lowla…
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