Mars may have more water than previously believed, according to studies of sand dunes conducted by the Chinese Zhurong rover.
The discovery suggests new, possibly productive locations in Mars’ warmer zones where life could live, but further research is needed.
Investigation Of Sand Dunes On Mars
Since landing in the northern hemisphere of Mars in May 2021, the rover has approached four crescent-shaped dunes in the Utopia Planitia region.
The thin, widespread fractured crusts and ridges covering all four of the wind-formed miniature geological features may have formed as a result of the melting of small pockets of modern water between 1.4 million and 400,000 years ago, according to a study published on Friday (April 28).
The sand dunes that Zhurong examined were approximately 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 meters) in length and approximately 3 feet (1 meter) in height, and they were located near the landing site in the northern hemisphere of the planet, which was a considerable distance from the north pole.
Recent research based on Zhurong and Tianwen 1 orbiter data and images suggests that water from the cold polar regions of the planet drifted to lower latitudes a few million years ago, eventually pooling atop the Utopia Planitia dunes.
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Snow Formation Far from the Martian Poles
Zhurong’s laser-induced breakdown spectrometer (MarSCoDe) instrument zapped sand grains into millimeter-sized particles as it approached its target dunes, which are small in comparison to the gigantic two-story ones investigated elsewhere on Mars by NASA’s Curiosity rover.
Sulfates, silica, iron oxide, and chlorides were all identified in their chemical makeup as being present in their hydrated form.
Scientists believe that a few million years ago when Mars was tilted differently and its poles were pointing more directly toward the sun, water vapor migrated from the Martian poles to lower latitudes like Zhurong’s site.
According to the most recent research, the freezing temperatures at the equator caused the floating mist to condense and fall as snow far from the poles.
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