China became the second country to land a rover on Mars with the successful landing of the Zhurong rover on May 15, 2021. The rover made important observations and studied the red planet as it moved around the surface. The rover was also equipped with a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) which could peer under the surface of the red planet.

Researchers have now announced that the rover found irregular polygonal wedges about 35 metres under the surface where it landed.

While it is quite tempting to imagine that these geometric polygons are remnants of some complex machinery developed by aliens on Mars, scientists think there are other reasons for their existence.

Watch | Scientists surprised by source of largest quake detected on Mars

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The team of researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences writes in their paper in the journal Nature that Zhurong detected 16 such polygonal wedges within a stretch of 1.2 kilometres on Mars. These wedges measure from a few centimetres to tens of metres across. The research paper was cited by ScienceAlert in its report.

<h2>Freeze-thaw cycles and volcanic activity on Mars</h2>

Researchers believe that these wedges were formed due to freeze-thaw cycles on Mars billions of years ago. But the origin of these wedges can also be volcanic and they may also have formed from cooling lava flows.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-odyssey-orbiter-acts-as-space-station-to-mars-to-capture-its-atmosphere-from-top-664467">NASA's Odyssey orbiter acts as Space Station to Mars to capture its atmosphere from top</a>

The researchers say that these polygonal structures may have been formed 3.7 – 2.9 billion years ago that is, Late Hesperian–Early Amazonian epochs on Mars. These were formed "possibly with the cessation of an ancient wet environment. The palaeo-polygonal terrain, either with or without being eroded, was subsequently buried," say researchers as quoted by SciencAlert.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/tiangong-space-station-china-releases-beautiful-panoramic-image-with-fully-visible-structure-664263">Tiangong space station: China releases beautiful panoramic image with fully visible structure</a>

"The possible presence of water and ice required for the freeze–thaw process in the wedges may have come from cryogenic suction-induced moisture migration from an underground aquifer on Mars, snowfall from the air or vapor diffusion for pore ice deposition," the paper explains.

"The subsurface structure with the covering materials overlying the buried palaeo-polygonal terrain suggests that there was a notable palaeoclimatic transformation some time thereafter," the researchers wrote.

(With inputs from agencies)

China became the second country to land a rover on Mars with the successful landing of the Zhurong rover on May 15, 2021. The rover made important observations and studied the red planet as it moved around the surface.

China became the second country to land a rover on Mars with the successful landing of the Zhurong rover on May 15, 2021. The rover made important observations and studied the red planet as it moved around the surface. The rover was also equipped with a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) which could peer under the surface of the red planet. Researchers have now announced that the rover found irregular polygonal wedges about 35 metres under the surface where it landed. While it is quite tempting to imagine that these geometric polygons are remnants of some complex machinery developed by aliens on Mars, scientists think there are other reasons for their existence. Watch | Scientists surprised by source of largest quake detected on Mars × The team of researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences writes in their paper in the journal Nature that Zhurong detected 16 such polygonal wedges within a stretch of 1.2 kilometres on Mars. These wedges measure from a few centimetres to tens of metres across. The research paper was cited by ScienceAlert in its report. Freeze-thaw cycles and volcanic activity on Mars Researchers believe that these wedges were formed due to freeze-thaw cycles on Mars billions of years ago. But the origin of these wedges can also be volcanic and they may also have formed from cooling lava flows. Also Read | NASA's Odyssey orbiter acts as Space Station to Mars to capture its atmosphere from top The researchers say that these polygonal structures may have been formed 3.7 – 2.9 billion years ago that is, Late Hesperian–Early Amazonian epochs on Mars. These were formed "possibly with the cessation of an ancient wet environment. The palaeo-polygonal terrain, either with or without being eroded, was subsequently buried," say researchers as quoted by SciencAlert. Also Read | Tiangong space station: China releases beautiful panoramic image with fully visible structure "The possible presence of water and ice required for the freeze–thaw process in the wedges may have come from cryogenic suction-induced moisture migration from an underground aquifer on Mars, snowfall from the air or vapor diffusion for pore ice deposition," the paper explains. "The subsurface structure with the covering materials overlying the buried palaeo-polygonal terrain suggests that there was a notable palaeoclimatic transformation some time thereafter," the researchers wrote. (With inputs from agencies)

China's rover finds geometric shapes under Martian surface

China's Zhurong rover has, for the first time, found traces of recent water activity on Mars, indicating that the Red Planet has a few areas where conditions are suitable for life to exist.

According to Chinese scientists, the rover, which landed on the Red Planet in 2021, detected evidence of liquid water on sand dunes at low latitudes, i.e., towards the equator and away from its poles.

Scientists have for long believed that Mars once had an earth-like climate and an ocean flowing across its surface about three billion years ago, very different from the present dry and barren surface.

What has perplexed them, however, is where all this water went, with scientists believing most of it likely became trapped in the planet's outer layer, or crust.

Till now, no evidence had been provided to show the presence of liquid water at low latitudes on Mars.&nbsp;

But Friday’s discovery is a major breakthrough for understanding the evolutionary history of Mars as it provides future possible clues for extra-terrestrial life.

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The scientists, however, pointed out that the rover did not directly detect any water in the form of frost or ice, rather it observed salt-rich dunes with cracks and crusts.

They said that since temperatures on Mars oscillate wildly and spike in the mornings between 5 am and 6 am, the saltwater evaporated and left behind salt and other newly formed minerals that later seeped between the dune's sand grains, cementing them to form a crust.

“This is important for understanding the evolutionary history of the Martian climate, looking for a habitable environment, and providing key clues for the future search for life,” said Professor QIN Xiaoguang, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who led the research.

He and his team used data obtained by the Zhurong rover's Navigation and Terrain Camera (NaTeCam), Multispectral Camera (MSCam), and its Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe).

Their study revealed that the surface layer of the dune was rich in hydrated sulfates, hydrated silica, iron oxide minerals and possibly chlorides.

“According to the measured meteorological data by Zhurong and other Mars rovers, we inferred that these dune surface characteristics were related to the involvement of liquid saline water formed by the subsequent melting of frost/snow falling on the salt-containing dune surfaces when cooling occurs,' said Professor QIN.

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China's Zhurong rover has, for the first time, found traces of recent water activity on Mars, indicating that the Red Planet has a few areas where conditions are suitable for life to exist.

China's Zhurong rover has, for the first time, found traces of recent water activity on Mars, indicating that the Red Planet has a few areas where conditions are suitable for life to exist. According to Chinese scientists, the rover, which landed on the Red Planet in 2021, detected evidence of liquid water on sand dunes at low latitudes, i.e., towards the equator and away from its poles. Scientists have for long believed that Mars once had an earth-like climate and an ocean flowing across its surface about three billion years ago, very different from the present dry and barren surface. What has perplexed them, however, is where all this water went, with scientists believing most of it likely became trapped in the planet's outer layer, or crust. Till now, no evidence had been provided to show the presence of liquid water at low latitudes on Mars. But Friday’s discovery is a major breakthrough for understanding the evolutionary history of Mars as it provides future possible clues for extra-terrestrial life. The scientists, however, pointed out that the rover did not directly detect any water in the form of frost or ice, rather it observed salt-rich dunes with cracks and crusts. They said that since temperatures on Mars oscillate wildly and spike in the mornings between 5 am and 6 am, the saltwater evaporated and left behind salt and other newly formed minerals that later seeped between the dune's sand grains, cementing them to form a crust. “This is important for understanding the evolutionary history of the Martian climate, looking for a habitable environment, and providing key clues for the future search for life,” said Professor QIN Xiaoguang, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who led the research. He and his team used data obtained by the Zhurong rover's Navigation and Terrain Camera (NaTeCam), Multispectral Camera (MSCam), and its Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe). Their study revealed that the surface layer of the dune was rich in hydrated sulfates, hydrated silica, iron oxide minerals and possibly chlorides. “According to the measured meteorological data by Zhurong and other Mars rovers, we inferred that these dune surface characteristics were related to the involvement of liquid saline water formed by the subsequent melting of frost/snow falling on the salt-containing dune surfaces when cooling occurs,' said Professor QIN. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Chinese rover finds traces of recent water activity on Mars

Zhurong, China's first rover to Mars was declared dead. After months of shying away from answering the status of this rover, China has finally confirmed that it has lost all its contacts with Zhurong. What was Zhurong? Why did it die? How did it meet the same fate as most Chinese products? Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: Zhurong: Chinese rover on Mars dies

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