A Chinese rover has discovered evidence of an ancient shoreline on Mars, suggesting that the planet may once have had a beach and a gigantic ocean called Deuteronilus. The findings, made by China’s Zhurong rover during its journey across the Red Planet, indicate that Mars had a massive ocean more than 3 billion years ago.
According to researchers, the ancient ocean could have harbored life, with similar conditions to those on Earth’s primordial seas. The discovery was made using ground-penetrating radar, which scanned beneath the planet’s surface and revealed layered structures filled with formations known as foreshore deposits. These deposits are typically formed from sediments dropped by ocean tides and waves.
The presence of these deposits suggests that there were waves on Mars, indicating a dynamic interface between air and water. This is significant because similar interactions between oceans and land are believed to have played a crucial role in the development of early life on Earth.
The discovery supports the idea that Mars was once a prime holiday spot with sandy beaches running along the shoreline of a large ocean. The findings provide valuable insights into the evolution of the Martian landscape and could help scientists identify areas where past life may have existed.
While conclusive answers about whether Mars harbor life are still to come, previous missions have already provided samples of Martian dust and evidence of ancient life. NASA is currently planning to retrieve these samples as part of its Perseverance rover mission, which aims to speed up the timeline for potential answers about life on Mars.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/mars-was-once-a-vacation-style-beach-planet-chinese-rover-scans-reveal