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The Red Planet was once a river-populated world, providing a welcoming environment for life.
Analysis of data obtained from the Curiosity rover has shown that the Red Planet was once covered with rivers, which created a favorable environment for life.
For almost five years, scientists have studied traces of water on Mars and found various proofs of its presence.
New research from Penn State University shows that craters on the planet's surface, known as" bench-and-nose landforms", were formed under the influence of rivers.
"We're finding evidence that Mars was most likely a river planet," said Benjamin Cardenas, an assistant professor of geosciences at Penn State University and the project's principal investigator.
For the research, the scientists, supported by NASA, used computer models to recreate erosion on the Martian surface over thousands of years. The models were trained on satellite data, Curiosity images, and 3D scans of sedimentary rock layers taken from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico by oil companies 25 years ago.
In previous studies, scientists looked at data from satellites orbiting Mars and noticed certain formations on the planet's surface, known as fluvial ridges. It was believed that they could indicate ancient river deposits.
However, a new discovery by scientists from the University of Pennsylvania refuted this theory. The simulations revealed erosional landscapes similar to those observed by the Curiosity rover in Gale Crater.
The discovery that these formations are ancient riverbeds points to the possible presence of even more undetected river deposits on the planet. According to scientists, river corridors are a key condition for the existence of various forms of life, providing an environment for chemical, nutrient and sedimentary cycles.
"Our research suggests that there may have been many more rivers on Mars than previously thought, which gives a more optimistic view of ancient life on Mars," Cardenas said.
The study was published in the journal "Geophysical Research Letters".
Analysis of data obtained from the Curiosity rover has shown that the Red Planet was once covered with rivers, which created a favorable environment for life.
For almost five years, scientists have studied traces of water on Mars and found various proofs of its presence.
New research from Penn State University shows that craters on the planet's surface, known as" bench-and-nose landforms", were formed under the influence of rivers.
"We're finding evidence that Mars was most likely a river planet," said Benjamin Cardenas, an assistant professor of geosciences at Penn State University and the project's principal investigator.
For the research, the scientists, supported by NASA, used computer models to recreate erosion on the Martian surface over thousands of years. The models were trained on satellite data, Curiosity images, and 3D scans of sedimentary rock layers taken from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico by oil companies 25 years ago.
In previous studies, scientists looked at data from satellites orbiting Mars and noticed certain formations on the planet's surface, known as fluvial ridges. It was believed that they could indicate ancient river deposits.
However, a new discovery by scientists from the University of Pennsylvania refuted this theory. The simulations revealed erosional landscapes similar to those observed by the Curiosity rover in Gale Crater.
The discovery that these formations are ancient riverbeds points to the possible presence of even more undetected river deposits on the planet. According to scientists, river corridors are a key condition for the existence of various forms of life, providing an environment for chemical, nutrient and sedimentary cycles.
"Our research suggests that there may have been many more rivers on Mars than previously thought, which gives a more optimistic view of ancient life on Mars," Cardenas said.
The study was published in the journal "Geophysical Research Letters".
