Traces of the former ocean were recorded on Mars
Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania have recorded on Mars traces of the former northern ocean. The results are described in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.
The outlines of the ancient ocean have been discovered through new topographic maps of the planet. They were able to discern more than 4,000 miles of ridges, which were grouped into 20 systems. These structures are actually deltas of former rivers and underwater channels – remnants of the coastline.
Observations have shown that the topography is about 3.5 billion years old with a layer of sediment of at least half a mile that covered hundreds of thousands of square yards. The results suggest that the planet was once experiencing rising ocean levels, which corresponded to a prolonged warm and humid climate, not the one that exists today.
