Ancient ocean coast found on Mars
Miscellaneous / / April 03, 2023
Perhaps it is there that traces of life should be looked for.
Newly released set of topographic maps of Mars has provided new evidence of the existence of the ancient northern ocean on the planet. Maps have confirmed that the Aeolis Dorsa Basin once experienced sea level rise consistent with a prolonged warm and humid climate.
New maps created by American geologists are the result of a reconstruction of the ancient topography of the planet. With their help, it was possible to detect a coastline with an age of approximately 3.5 billion years with significant sedimentary deposits at least 900 meters thick, which cover hundreds of thousands of square kilometers.
With the help of special software and data from orbital observations, scientists have identified more than 6,500 km of river ranges in this area and grouped them into 20 systems. This made it possible to show that these formations probably represent river deltas or belts of underwater channels that flowed into a single ocean and formed its coastline.
The rocks at Aeolis Dorsa contain interesting information about what the ocean was like. It's something very dynamic. The sea level has risen significantly. Stones were deposited along its basins at a very high rate. There have been many changes here.
Benjamin Cardenas
assistant professor of geosciences at Pennsylvania and lead author of the study
Scientists believe that this very lowland with huge layers of sediments can become a key zone for signs of life or any traces of it on Mars.
The main goal of the missions of the Curiosity rover is to search for signs of life. He was always looking for water, traces of inhabited life. This is the largest body of water. It is a giant body of water fed by sediments coming from the highlands, supposedly carrying nutrients. If there were tides on ancient Mars, they would be here, gently letting water in and out. This is exactly the place where ancient Martian life could have developed.
Benjamin Cardenas
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