Martian rover's road map and terrain [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Petrological evidence found recently by an international research team proved that ocean once existed in the northern part of Mars.

The team, led by Xiao Long, professor at the School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), analyzed data obtained from a multispectral camera on China's Martian rover Zhurong.

Rocks and sedimentary bedding observed on Mars [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"By examining the photos transmitted from the rover, we discovered that these exposed rocks exhibit distinctive stratigraphic structures. That's significantly different from the volcanic rocks commonly found on the Martian surface and those formed by aeolian sedimentation. These stratigraphic features indicate bidirectional water flow characteristics consistent with low-energy tidal currents in Earth's shallow coastal marine environments," Xiao said.

The research findings were published in the academic journal National Science Review.

Evolutionary pattern diagram of the Hesperian Ocean on Mars [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

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Evidence indicates ocean once existed on Mars - Chinadaily.com.cn

中国日报网（2023年05月19日）