Maritime lifestyle and tourism · Opinion

Did Mars once have an ocean and beaches? New findings from China's Zhurong rover

Mars, though appearing today as an inhospitable world with a harsh landscape, may once have resembled a more welcoming environment with oceans and beaches. New research provides evidence of ancient shorelines, suggesting that the red planet once hosted large bodies of water.

Daniel Nawrocki reporter 25.02.2025, 16:00 Reading time: 2 min

Reddish sandy shoreline with breaking waves and rocky cliffs in the background — fot. x.com/MarioNawfal

In brief

An international team of scientists analysing data from the Chinese rover Zhurong has discovered structures beneath the surface of Mars resembling Earth's beaches, pointing to the existence of an ancient ocean. The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was based on ground-penetrating radar measurements in the southern part of Utopia Planitia, where layers dipping northward were detected. Dr Benjamin Cardenas of Pennsylvania State University reported that the ancient beach shifted at least 1.3 kilometres north into the ocean. The scientists ruled out volcanic activity, rivers and wind-shaped dunes.

Discovery of Martian shores

An international team of scientists, analyzing data from China's Zhurong rover, has uncovered subsurface structures resembling Earth's beaches. The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

- Zhurong was deployed to the southern part of Utopia Planitia, near areas where ancient shorelines had been mapped based on satellite data, said Dr. Benjamin Cardenas from Pennsylvania State University, a co-author of the study.

A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) onboard the rover allowed scientists to peer beneath the Martian surface. The results revealed structures sloping northward, suggesting that these formations were shaped by oceanic activity.

- The radar detects even subtle changes in sediment sizes, which is likely what we're seeing here, Cardenas explained.

Furthermore, researchers discovered that Mars' shoreline shifted over time. This implies that waves and tides influenced sediment deposition, reinforcing the presence of vast bodies of water.

- The beach moved at least 1.3 km northward into the ocean, Cardenas added.

Potential conditions for life

This discovery has significant implications for studying Mars' past potential for sustaining life.

- A beach is where shallow water, air, and land converge. On Earth, such environments were crucial for the emergence of life, Cardenas emphasized.

The researchers ruled out alternative explanations for the discovered structures.

- We exclude volcanic activity, river formations, and wind-shaped sand dunes. While these phenomena are common on Mars, the structures we found simply do not fit those patterns, the scientist noted.