Ancient Riverbeds Reveal Mars Was Once Far Wetter, Study Finds

Ancient Riverbeds Reveal Mars Was Once Far Wetter, Study Finds
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New research has uncovered nearly 10,000 miles (16,000 km) of ancient riverbeds in Mars’s southern highlands, suggesting the red planet was once much wetter than previously believed. Using high-resolution images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Global Surveyor, scientists identified extensive networks of fluvial sinuous ridges — geological features formed when ancient river sediments harden and surrounding terrain erodes away.

Some of these ancient rivers, located in the Noachis Terra region, stretch over 100 miles and are believed to be more than 3 billion years old. The findings challenge earlier assumptions that parts of Mars lacked significant water flow. Researchers now believe that the region received regular rain or snow to sustain these vast waterways.

The new data will be presented at the Royal Astronomical Society’s national meeting in Durham. Scientists say this supports the theory that Mars once hosted large bodies of water before its magnetic field weakened, allowing the solar wind to strip away its atmosphere and surface water. Hidden water may still exist beneath Mars’s surface today.