Scientists have discovered evidence of ancient beaches and shorelines on Mars, which challenges the long-held assumption that the planet’s surface dried up billions of years ago. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reveals that Mars may have once had a warmer, wetter climate with an ocean covering one-third of its surface.
The discovery was made by China’s Zhurong rover, which used ground-penetrating radar to examine hidden rock layers beneath Utopia Planitia, a plain within the largest known impact basin on Mars. The team found sedimentary structures similar to layered beaches on Earth that dipped at a 14.5-degree angle, matching the size of sand grains.
“We’re finding places on Mars that used to look like ancient beaches and ancient river deltas,” said study coauthor Benjamin Cardenas. “We found evidence for wind, waves, no shortage of sand — a proper, vacation-style beach.”
The team believes that these coastal deposits are proof of a long-term stable ocean that could have supported life on Mars. The findings add weight to the hypothesis of an ancient northern ocean on Mars and suggest that the planet had conditions that could have supported a hydrological system for substantial amounts of time.
While some scientists have questioned the interpretation of the data, the discovery is significant, shedding new light on Mars’ climate history and potential habitability. As researchers continue to explore the Martian surface, they will aim to determine the height of the waves and tides within the ocean, how long it persisted, and whether it provided a potentially hospitable environment for life.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/28/science/mars-ocean-sandy-beaches/index.html