Chinese Rover Zhurong Uncovers Evidence of Ancient Martian Beach

Ground-penetrating radar data suggests Mars had a stable ocean as recently as 3 billion years ago, challenging prior assumptions about the planet's water history.

The Zhurong rover, operated by the China National Space Administration, identified sedimentary deposits resembling beach formations in Utopia Planitia on Mars.
Data collected using ground-penetrating radar revealed reflective rock layers dipping away from a paleoshoreline, consistent with coastal sedimentation on Earth.
The findings point to the presence of a stable ocean during Mars' Late Hesperian period, extending the timeline for surface water on the planet.
This discovery suggests that Mars retained potentially habitable environments longer than previously believed, raising new questions about its capacity to support life.
The study, conducted by a team of Chinese and American scientists, was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).