Evidence from the ancient Martian oceans increases the possibility of life in the past.

There is no doubt that Mars as we know it today looks dry and dusty, but scientists have found evidence of a vast ocean on the surface of Mars about 3.5 billion years ago, covering an area of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers.

The evidence appears in the form of unique coastline topography and is identified by a large number of satellite images on the Martian surface, which can be used to construct a Martian topographic map when taken at slightly different angles.

Researchers have mapped more than 6500 kilometers of river ridges, which are apparently carved by rivers, suggesting that they are likely to be eroded river deltas or undersea passage belts. On Earth, geologists map the history of waterways by looking at sediments deposited over time, and on Mars, scientists use the same method.

Based on these findings, the team inferred that there was a time when Mars was warm enough and its atmosphere thick enough to support so much liquid water at the same time. "the most important thing here is that the existence of an ocean of this size means a higher potential for life," the team said. "

The whole of Mars has large areas that may be river ridges, indicating that Mars was once covered with extensive water. We are seeing more and more signs that there was once abundant water on Mars, and the work continues to find out where the water went.

This article is from the official Wechat account: NASA Space enthusiasts (ID:NASAtoMars), author: NASAITACHI