Ancient Ocean Sediments Discovered Beneath Martian Surface: Key Evidence for Martian Habitability

Ancient Ocean Sediments Discovered Beneath Martian Surface: Key Evidence for Martian HabitabilityA team led by researcher Fang Guangyou from the Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, analyzed data from the Zhurong rover's radar and discovered multiple layers of inclined sedimentary structures buried 10 to 35 meters beneath the surface of Utopia Planitia in southern Mars. This landmark discovery provides the most direct subsurface evidence to date for the existence of an ancient ocean in the mid-to-low latitudes of Mars

Ancient Ocean Sediments Discovered Beneath Martian Surface: Key Evidence for Martian Habitability

• A team led by researcher Fang Guangyou from the Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, analyzed data from the Zhurong rover's radar and discovered multiple layers of inclined sedimentary structures buried 10 to 35 meters beneath the surface of Utopia Planitia in southern Mars. This landmark discovery provides the most direct subsurface evidence to date for the existence of an ancient ocean in the mid-to-low latitudes of Mars. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) under the title Ancient ocean coastal deposits imaged on Mars.

Mars, with its geologically similar features to Earth, seasonal variations, and diurnal rhythms, has long been considered a prime target for human interplanetary migration. However, despite decades of Martian exploration, discoveries have largely focused on the extremely cold high-latitude or polar regions. The question of whether a vast ocean once existed in the northern lowlands of Mars has remained controversial, making the acquisition of direct evidence of an ancient Martian ocean crucial.

On May 15, 2021, Zhurong, China's first Mars rover, successfully landed in the southern Utopia Planitia. It carries a subsurface penetrating radar developed by the Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, designed to detect subsurface structures and potential water ice. Zhurong's landing site is approximately 280 kilometers north of the previously hypothesized ancient coastline and about 500 meters lower in elevation.

Using data from the low-frequency channel of Zhurong's radar along the rover's traverse, the research team identified 76 subsurface inclined reflectors at depths ranging from 10 to 35 meters. These reflectors are not randomly distributed but are spatially widespread and uniform, covering more than 1.3 kilometers. All reflectors exhibit a dip towards the lower northern region, with inclinations ranging from 6 to 20, averaging 14.5. Critically, multiple parallel reflectors are observed at different depths in the same location, forming a clear layered structure.

These layered structures are highly similar to radar imaging results of coastal sediments on Earth. Their consistency and physical characteristics rule out other origins such as aeolian sand dunes, lava tubes, or fluvial deposits. The large-scale, regular inclined sedimentary structures could only have formed in a persistent and stable large body of water, not merely from localized and transient meltwater. Wave-driven coastal transport provided a stable net influx of sediment to the coastline, ultimately forming the foreshore deposits.

Further research confirmed the marine sedimentary nature of these deposits. Their dielectric properties are consistent with the dielectric constant of sediments composed of fine and medium sand grains on Earth. This finding strongly supports the hypothesis of an ancient ocean in the northern plains of Mars.

This research provides crucial subsurface evidence of a prolonged period of warm and humid climate on Mars. This implies that Mars may have maintained conditions suitable for liquid water for a far longer duration than previously estimated, extending beyond short-term meltwater events. This not only expands evidence of liquid water from the remote polar regions to mid-to-low latitudes more suitable for human activity, but more importantly, confirms that Mars may once have been habitable.

If an ocean existed in this region, a significant amount of water may have been sequestered as subsurface ice due to climate change. This discovery offers new possibilities for water resource utilization for future Martian bases. Furthermore, these ancient ocean sediments preserve a record of Martian climate change. Studying these sediments can help us better understand how Mars transitioned from a warm and humid to a cold and dry planet, providing valuable scientific data for future human efforts to terraform Mars and achieve long-term sustainable habitation.

In conclusion, this significant discovery based on Zhurong rover data provides strong evidence for the existence of an ancient Martian ocean and offers crucial scientific insights for further research into Martian climate evolution, habitability, and future human exploration of Mars. It not only reshapes our understanding of Mars' past environment but also has profound implications for future Martian exploration and human space migration plans. The success of Zhurong and this research marks a major breakthrough for China in deep space exploration and makes a significant contribution to global Martian science. With more exploration missions in the future, we will gain a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of this red planet.

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