Once, there was an ocean on Mars with sandy beaches, astronomers

Evidence of the existence of a shoreline, hidden deep beneath the surface of the Red Planet, was discovered in 2021 by Chinese researchers. rover Zhurong Recently, an international team of researchers obtained new evidence that there were once oceans and sandy beaches on Mars.

Zhurong studied the geology of the planet in an area known as the Utopia Planitia. Unlike other rovers, it was equipped with a ground-penetrating radar that could deeply penetrate the Martian soil and detect hidden rock formations.

When astronomers analyzed the ground radar data, they discovered a layered structure resembling Earth’s beaches, the publication reported. Daily Mail Scientists noticed the so-called “coastal” deposits formed by the transport of soil by tides and waves into a large body of water. When the team compared the rover’s data with images of coastal deposits on Earth, they found a striking similarity.

According to researchers, the discovery showed that the Red Planet was once a much wetter place than it is now. This further supports the theory of the existence of ocean that covered most of the northern pole of Mars in the past.

Astronomers have also gained new insights into the evolution of the Martian environment. They suggested that a life-friendly warm and wet period potentially lasted on the Red Planet for tens of millions of years.

Co-author Benjamin Cardenas from Pennsylvania State University (USA) noted: “We found places on Mars that once resembled ancient beaches and river deltas. We also discovered evidence of wind, waves, and a sufficient amount of sand: this is a real beach for relaxation.”

Professor Michael Manga from the University of California, Berkeley (USA) said: “The structures do not resemble sand dunes. They do not resemble impact craters. They do not resemble lava flows. That’s when we started thinking about the ocean.”

According to him, the research confirmed “the idea that for a long time… Mars “There existed an ocean that formed a sandy beach.”

The results of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.