ISTANBUL

China’s Zhurong rover has uncovered evidence that liquid water persisted on Mars far longer than scientists previously believed, according to a report by Xinhua on Wednesday citing a new peer-reviewed study.

Analysis of ground-penetrating radar data shows significant aqueous activity at Zhurong’s landing site in southern Utopia Planitia around 750 million years ago, extending Mars’ wet history by several hundred million years, the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences said in research published in the National Science Review.

“The uniform thickness and continuity of the sedimentary rule out the possibility of volcanic eruptions or wind-driven processes. The only reasonable explanation is that this area was in an aqueous sedimentary environment at that time, similar to a shallow sea or a large lake,” said Liu Yike, the study’s first and corresponding author.

Zhurong, which landed on Mars in May 2021 and traveled nearly 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) before completing its mission in May 2022, also detected fine-layered sediments consistent with water-based deposition.

“Comprehensive analysis indicates that the landing site of Zhurong underwent a significant resurfacing event during the middle-late Amazonian Period, and that sustained aqueous activity still existed on Mars during this period,” Liu added.