Scientists have found evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars which they say increases the “potential for life”.
Topographic maps have been closely analyzed by researchers, who have found evidence of a northern hemisphere ocean that has experienced sea level rise consistent with a hot, humid climate.
Experts have long debated the possibility of life on mars and if it had sheltered oceans.
The data is based on “recently published” topography and the results assume that “erosion has not significantly reshaped the Martian surface over the past 3.5 billion years.”
Researchers were able to show “definitive evidence” of a coastline with “substantial sedimentary accumulation” at least 900m thick covering thousands of square kilometres.
Benjamin Cardenas, assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University and lead author of the study, said: “What immediately comes to mind as one of the most important points here is that is that the existence of an ocean of this size means a higher potential. for life.
“It also tells us about the ancient climate and its evolution.
“Based on these findings, we know that there must have been a time when it was warm enough and the atmosphere was thick enough to support so much liquid water at once.
“On Earth, we trace the history of waterways by examining the sediments that are deposited over time.
“We call it stratigraphy, the idea that water carries sediment, and you can measure changes on Earth by understanding how sediment accumulates.
“That’s what we did here – but this is Mars.”
He said the area that housed the ocean is now known to scientists as Aeolis Dorsa.
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Software developed by the US Geological Survey was used to map the data from Nasa and the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, which was an instrument on a surveyor spacecraft that operated in orbit of the Red Planet.
The study was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.
The findings come a month after British scientists revealed they found evidence which gave the “best indication yet that there is liquid water on Mars”.
