China’s Zhurong Rover finds evidence of long lasting water on Mars

(MENAFN) China’s Zhurong rover has revealed new evidence suggesting that liquid water remained on Mars far longer than scientists previously believed. The findings, reported Wednesday by Xinhua and published in the peer-reviewed National Science Review, extend the planet’s “wet history” by several hundred million years.

Researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed ground-penetrating radar data collected at Zhurong’s landing site in southern Utopia Planitia. The results indicate significant aqueous activity around 750 million years ago, well into the middle-late Amazonian Period.

"The uniform thickness and continuity of the sedimentary rule out the possibility of volcanic eruptions or wind-driven processes. The only reasonable explanation is that this area was in an aqueous sedimentary environment at that time, similar to a shallow sea or a large lake," said Liu Yike, the study’s first and corresponding author.

Zhurong, which touched down on Mars in May 2021 and traveled nearly 2 kilometers before completing its mission in May 2022, also detected fine-layered sediments consistent with water-based deposition.

"Comprehensive analysis indicates that the landing site of Zhurong underwent a significant resurfacing event during the middle-late Amazonian Period, and that sustained aqueous activity still existed on Mars during this period," Liu added.

The discovery adds weight to growing evidence that Mars may have hosted habitable environments much later in its geological timeline than previously assumed, offering new insights into the planet’s potential for supporting life.

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