For a long time, the scientific community debated this Mars had an ocean in its northern hemisphere. Using topographical data, a team of researchers has been able to show definitive evidence of a coastline dating back some 3.5 billion years.

New topographic maps have revealed strong evidence for an ocean on Mars Hot and humid weather. I had a few 900 meters thick, hundreds of thousands of square kilometers.

A group led by Benjamin Cardenas, assistant professor of geosciences at Penn State and lead author of the study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, used software developed by the United States Geological Survey to map data from NASA and the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter. With him they found more 6,500 km of fluvial ridges grouped them into 20 systems to show that such ridges were probably eroded by fluvial or submarine channel belts.

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These rock formations and the ridge system’s thickness, elevations, positions, and possible sedimentary flow directions helped the team understand the evolution of paleography in the area.

Cárdenas points out that the existence of an ocean of this size “implies a huge possibility of life.” So we can ask ourselves if there is life on Mars?

Rear of the Aeolians

The area is known for what is believed to have once been an ocean Rear of the Aeolians And, according to experts, contains The densest collection of river banks on the planet. Cadernas said, “The rocks of Aeolis dorsa capture fascinating information about what the ocean was like. Sea level has risen significantly. Rocks were rapidly deposited in its basins. A lot of changes were happening here.”

Just as on Earth, ancient sedimentary basins contain stratigraphic records of the evolution of climate and life, on Mars this system could be used to find a record of life, according to Cárdenas, A. Such a large ocean would be a good place to start.