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Utopia Planitia

All articles tagged with #utopia planitia

space1 month ago•74 min saved

Mars Express spots ancient ocean clues in Utopia Planitia

European Space Agency’s Mars Express has captured high‑resolution images of Utopia Planitia showing dark, ancient volcanic ash spreading across the northern Martian plain. The new views—comparing with 1970s Viking data—suggest Mars’ surface features can change over decades, possibly due to wind redistributing ash or exposing underlying material. The imagery also highlights subsurface ice and ice-rich permafrost beneath the plains, along with tectonic features like grabens and scalloped depressions that trace Mars’ dynamic geology and the past presence of a large body of water in this region billions of years ago.

via Space|

#ancient-ocean #mars #mars-express

space1 month ago•92 min saved

Mars’ Expanding Shadow in Utopia Planitia Baffles Scientists After 50 Years

A dark patch in Mars’ Utopia Planitia, made of ash and volcanic rocks, has slowly expanded since it was first photographed by Viking 2 in 1976. ESA’s Mars Express captured new images in 2024 showing the shadow creeping southward by roughly 320 km (about 6.5 km per year). Scientists think Martian winds likely move the ash or blow away dust covering it, but the exact cause is still unknown.

via Live Science|

#mars #mars-express #planetary-geology

science1 month ago•37 min saved

Mars’s 50-Year Shadow Keeps Expanding, but Scientists Remain Stumped

A dark patch of ash and volcanic rocks in Mars’ Utopia Planitia has gradually expanded since it was first photographed in 1976, with its southern boundary moving at least ~320 km (about 200 miles) and the patch growing around 6.5 km per year. Scientists aren’t sure why this is happening; leading possibilities include winds moving the ash or blowing away overlying ochre dust. ESA and other missions have provided updated images and context, linking the region to Mars’ complex geology, possible ancient oceans, grabens, and buried ice, all of which influence ongoing questions about the planet’s climate and tectonics.

via Yahoo|

#mars #mars-express #martian-winds

science1 month ago•32 min saved

Mars Express spots rapid dark wave creeping across the Martian surface

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express captured an HRSC image showing a fast-spreading dark patch across Utopia Planitia on Mars, created by winds blowing ash from ancient eruptions or revealing buried igneous rock. A side‑by‑side with a 1976 Viking view highlights the change. Scientists say winds are moving surface material and exposing new geology, with features suggesting buried water ice and impact scars revealing Mars’s complex past.

via Yahoo|

#light-and-darkness #mars-express #martian-winds

space-and-spaceflight1 month ago•16 min saved

Mars Express Spots Dark Ash Creeping Across the Red Planet

ESA’s Mars Express captured a November 9, 2024 image showing a dark blanket of volcanic ash creeping over Mars near Utopia Planitia, contrasting with NASA’s 1976 Viking views. Scientists suggest the ash spread could be wind-driven or the dust covering it has been removed, indicating surface change over decades. The feature sits above ice beneath the surface and includes scalloped depressions that hint at periglacial processes, underscoring Mars’ volcanic history and ongoing landscape evolution mapped by Mars Express since 2003.

via Gizmodo|

#exomars #mars #mars-express

science1 year ago•3 min saved

China's Rover Finds Evidence of Ancient Ocean on Mars

China's Zhurong rover has discovered evidence of a 3.5 billion-year-old ocean in Mars' Utopia Planitia, supporting theories of a watery past. The rover identified features like pitted cones and sedimentary deposits indicative of water activity. This finding suggests Mars' northern hemisphere once hosted an ocean that gradually receded, providing insights into the planet's early climate and geological history.

via Interesting Engineering|

#ancient-ocean #mars #science

science1 year ago•1 min saved

Zhurong Rover Uncovers Clues of Ancient Ocean on Mars

China's Mars rover Zhurong has discovered evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars, supporting theories of the planet's watery past. Research from the Tianwen-1 mission indicates that rock deposits in Utopia Planitia, a large plain in Mars' northern hemisphere, suggest the presence of a sea around 3.5 billion years ago. The study, involving Hong Kong Polytechnic University and other institutions, found sedimentary rocks and surface features indicative of past water activity, providing a probable scenario for the ocean's formation.

via South China Morning Post|

#ancient-ocean #mars #science

space-exploration2 years ago•3 min saved

"Mars Rover Discovers Enigmatic Subsurface Polygons"

China's Zhurong rover has discovered mysterious polygons beneath Mars' surface, similar to those spotted by NASA in 2012, suggesting a long, wet period in the planet's ancient past. These features, found 35 kilometers below the surface, could indicate the presence of water and increase the likelihood of past life on Mars. The polygons, potentially formed between 3.7 and 2.9 billion years ago, may have resulted from water-related processes, such as freeze-thaw cycles. While the rover has been decommissioned, researchers believe the Utopia Planitia region remains a prime location to investigate ancient water activity on Mars.

via The Debrief|

#mars #polygons #space-exploration

space2 years ago•1 min saved

"Bizarre Polygonal Structures Unearthed on Mars"

The Chinese rover Zhurong has discovered 16 buried polygonal structures below the surface of Mars, shedding light on the planet's early atmosphere and climate. These structures, believed to have formed from a freeze-thaw cycle, were found 35 meters down in the Utopia Planitia basin and suggest that Mars may have had a higher obliquity in the past. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, indicate a notable palaeoclimatic transformation on Mars and challenge previous assumptions about the planet's geological history.

via indy100|

#chinese-rover-zhurong #mars #mars-early-atmosphere

space2 years ago•4 min saved

Mysterious Martian Polygons Reveal Clues of Ancient Water

Scientists have discovered a network of polygon-shaped cracks buried dozens of meters below the surface of Mars in the Utopia Planitia region. These crevasses, spanning 70 meters and bordered by ice and mud, suggest the presence of water and a hospitable climate on Mars billions of years ago. The patterns resemble those found near Earth's poles, indicating that Mars may have once been tilted on its axis, causing temperature fluctuations and the formation of these cracks. The discovery provides valuable insights into Mars' past and its potential for supporting life.

via Space.com|

#climate #mars #space

space2 years ago•4 min saved

"Mars' Zhurong Rover Uncovers Enigmatic Subsurface Polygons"

China's Zhurong rover, equipped with a ground-penetrating radar system, has detected irregular polygonal wedges buried beneath the surface of Mars in Utopia Planitia. These features, measuring from centimeters to tens of meters across, are believed to have formed billions of years ago due to freeze-thaw cycles or volcanic activity. The radar scans provide important local details of shallow structures and composition, complementing orbital radar explorations. The discovery suggests a wide distribution of similar terrain and indicates a significant paleoclimatic transformation on Mars.

via Phys.org|

#ground-penetrating-radar #mars #polygonal-terrain

space2 years ago•4 min saved

Uncovering Enigmatic Martian Polygons: China's Mars Lander Makes Historic Discovery

China's Zhurong rover, equipped with a ground-penetrating radar system, has detected irregular polygonal wedges buried beneath the surface of Mars at a depth of about 35 meters. These features, measuring from centimeters to tens of meters across, are believed to have formed billions of years ago due to freeze-thaw cycles or volcanic activity. The discovery suggests a wide distribution of similar terrain under Utopia Planitia and indicates a significant climatic transformation on Mars. The rover, which successfully operated for over a year, has been in hibernation since May 2022.

via Universe Today|

#ground-penetrating-radar #mars #polygonal-terrain

science3 years ago•3 min saved

Chinese Mars Rover Discovers Evidence of Recent Water Activity on Red Planet

China's Zhurong rover may have found evidence of liquid saline water on Mars' Utopia Planitia, suggesting that the planet may have had water on its surface as recently as 400,000 years ago. Researchers used three of the rover's instruments to sample sand dunes and found trace evidence of water from much more recently than previously discovered. The findings could overturn the notion that Mars dried up billions of years ago. The rover has been silent since May 2022, but it has continued to send valuable data back to Earth.

via Livescience.com|

#chinese-academy-of-sciences #mars #science