Researchers discovered thousands of miles of ancient riverbeds in the southern highlands of Mars, suggesting a significantly wetter past for the planet. High-resolution images from orbital missions unveiled nearly 10,000 miles of watercourses over 3 billion years old, some forming extensive networks. This implies that regional precipitation, either as rain or snowfall, likely nourished these rivers. Notably, areas like Noachis Terra, previously thought to lack evidence of water, were shown to support substantial water flow in ancient times, challenging previous assumptions about Mars's climate history.
Thousands of miles of ancient riverbeds have been discovered in the southern highlands of Mars, indicating the planet was once much wetter than previously believed.
Geological traces of nearly 10,000 miles of ancient watercourses, believed to be more than 3 billion years old, were found in high-resolution images from Mars orbiters.
Researchers noted that the widespread rivers were likely replenished by regional precipitation, signifying a wet Martian climate in its past.
High-resolution images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter revealed that Noachis Terra should have harbored substantial rain or snowfall, contradicting prior assumptions about its dryness.
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