Chinese geologists have uncovered evidence that water existed on Mars hundreds of millions of years longer than previously thought, thanks to data from China’s first Mars rover, Zhurong. This discovery sheds new light on the red planet’s climatic evolution and potential habitability.
Chinese geologists from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted the study and published their findings in the National Science Review. Zhurong, China’s first Mars rover, successfully landed in the southern Utopia Planitia on Mars in May 2021.
By May 2022, the rover had traveled 1,921 meters on the red planet, collecting abundant scientific data in the process. Zhurong conducted a high-frequency quad-polarized ground-penetrating radar survey on Mars, akin to performing a detailed CT scan.
Key Findings
Previously, scientists believed that Mars had entered a global arid phase about 3 billion years ago. However, data from Zhurong reveals that its landing site is extensively covered with a uniform sedimentary layer approximately 4 meters thick underground, beneath which craters are buried.
“The uniform thickness and continuity of the sedimentary layer rule out the possibility of volcanic eruptions or wind-driven processes,” said Liu Yike, the first author and corresponding author of the study. “The only reasonable explanation is that this area was in an aqueous sedimentary environment at that time, similar to a shallow sea or a large lake.”
Additionally, the radar captured centimeter-scale layered sediments, which formed in a water-based sedimentary environment. This further supports the existence of a shallow aquatic environment in this region in the past.
“Comprehensive analysis indicates that the landing site of Zhurong underwent a significant resurfacing event during the middle-late Amazonian Period,” said Liu. “Sustained aqueous activity still existed on Mars during this period.”
This discovery provides new evidence useful for a better understanding of Martian climatic evolution, geological processes, and potential habitability.
The findings suggest that water existed on Mars several hundred million years longer than previously thought, offering new insights into the planet’s climatic evolution and potential for habitability.
