British scientists from London’s Natural History Museum discovered a “water record” of Mars while examining hills and mounds on the Red Planet’s northern plains. It turns out that in the distant past these rocks were saturated with moisture. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Natural Geology (NatGeo).
The team analyzed high-resolution images and soil composition data on northern Mars obtained from orbiters.
Experts say that the mounds seen today, with a height of up to half a kilometer, turned out to be the remains of ancient plateaus that retreated hundreds of kilometers due to erosion billions of years ago.
The hills consist of layered sediments containing clay minerals. The latter was formed as a result of the interaction of water with rocks.
The study also shows that the mounds are geologically connected to the nearby Oxia Planum plains.
Scientists stated that Mars is a model of the early Earth. Due to its lack of tectonics, much of its ancient geology has remained unchanged for billions of years.
Previous researchers solved The half-century-old secret of Mars’ anomalous topography.