Chinese scientists this Friday revealed evidence of the existence of liquid water on the surface of Mars, through data collected by the Zhurong robot, which has been exploring the red planet since 2021.
The experts, who published their findings in the scientific journal “Advances in Science and Research,” led Zhurong to discover crusts, cracks, granulations and other marks created by water on the surface of Mars.
The analyzes indicated that minerals containing water, such as hydrated sulfates, protein rocks and hydrated iron oxides, are abundant in the Martian dunes.
“We believe that the evidence for the existence of water does not come from groundwater, but from snowfall or frost,” said study author Qin Xiaoguang, quoted by the official Global Times newspaper.
The existence of liquid water on the red planet has been the subject of several studies, as if confirmed it would serve to better understand the evolution of the Martian climate and to predict a possible human migration to the planet in the future to support.
According to local newspaper Science and Technology Daily, liquid water on Mars could also indicate the existence of life.
Previous studies have shown that liquid water once existed on the surface of Mars, but that it disappeared due to meteorological changes the planet underwent.
This study revealed that Mars may still be home to some wetlands in low-lying and relatively warm areas, according to the scientists.
Last September, Chinese experts, partly based on data collected by Zhurong, discovered layers on Mars formed by water activity some 3.3 billion years ago.
Zhurong is part of the Tianwen-1 mission, which also includes an orbiter and a lander.
Tianwen-1 is the first Chinese exploration mission to Mars and aims to find more evidence for the existence of water or ice on that planet and to investigate the material composition of the surface and the characteristics of the climate.
Source: DN
