Mars may have once had sandy beaches and rolling waves, according to a new study published today (February 24) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
An international team of scientists, including researchers from Penn State, analyzed data from China’s Zhurong Mars rover and identified hidden rock layers beneath the planet’s surface. These formations strongly suggest that a vast ocean once covered Mars’ northern region. The findings provide some of the most compelling evidence yet that the planet once had a significant body of water and a more hospitable environment for life, said Benjamin Cardenas, an assistant professor of geology at Penn State and a co-author of the study.
“We’re finding places on Mars that used to look like ancient beaches and ancient river deltas,” Cardenas said. “We found evidence for wind, waves, no shortage of sand — a proper, vacation-style beach.”
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