Data from the Mars rover Zhurong suggests that an ancient ocean may have once existed on Mars. 

The results of the study, which combines data collected directly from the Zhurong rover and remotely sensed data, have been published. The identified features suggest the existence of an ancient coastal environment in the northern lowlands of Mars. This is reported by CGTN, a partner of TV BRICS.

The study describes a variety of seascape features, including high-low land transition areas, shallow water and deep water zones. These results suggest a complex evolution of the northern lowlands of Mars, where water reached these areas during the Late Noachian epoch.

The researchers estimate that this ocean disappeared about 3.42 billion years ago. Study’s co-author Sergey Krasilnikov noted that the water was heavily turbidised, forming a layered sediment structure.

While earlier studies indicated the existence of the Hesperian Ocean in the northern lowlands, the new data provides a clearer picture of its extent and nature. According to the study, the region likely went through several stages: initial flooding, formation of shallow and deep marine zones during the early Hesperian epoch, and final loss of subsurface volatiles during the Amazonian epoch.

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