American and Chinese scientists said that data on the subsurrent layer of Mars may indicate the presence of an ocean and sandy beaches in the past.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania (USA) and the University of Guangzhou (China) analyzed the images of the bowels of Mars received by the Chinese Markway “Zhuzhong”.
Comparing this data with similar studies conducted on the Earth’s coasts, scientists revealed similar structures. They noted that underground formations on Mars have a slope similar to soils characteristic of plains or former oceanic shores on Earth.
It was also found that sand structures could shift over time. Researchers discovered the northern slope of some formations, which may indicate the movement of the beaches towards the ocean. According to their estimates, the sandy zone extends to the north by at least 1.3 kilometers. These data suggest that in this region there were once echoes, waves and river, carrying siege breeds.
As one of the authors of the study told The Guardian, Dr. Benjamin Cardenas, the structures discovered are not like volcanic formations or dunes, but rather resemble traces of the ancient coast. He emphasized that the data obtained make the search for signs of life on Mars even more relevant.
The results of the study are published in The Procedings of the National Academy of Sciences.