Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
China’s Zhurong rover found underground beach-like deposits, strengthening the case for a Mars ocean 4 billion years ago.
Credit: CNSA
Ground-penetrating radar revealed thick, sloping layers of sand, similar to Earth’s beaches, buried 10 to 35 meters underground.
If Mars had beaches, it means large, ice-free oceans once existed, with rivers carrying water, sediment, and possibly nutrients.
Credit: ESA
The deposits formed over millions of years, suggesting waves and tides shaped Mars' coastline, just like on Earth.
Credit: NASA
Mars once had a thicker atmosphere and a warmer climate, allowing water to remain liquid for long periods.
Mars' irregular shorelines might be due to changes in its spin axis, reshaping what was once a level ocean floor.
NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers found past lakes and rivers, but this discovery points to a full ocean.
Unlike surface erosion, these buried shorelines are untouched, preserving a unique record of Mars’ watery past.
Since Earth’s earliest life likely formed in shallow water, these beaches could be prime locations for biosignatures.