Chinese Rover Uncovers Unusual Structures on Mars. Scientists Propose Theory
1:22 PM EST, December 2, 2023
Though the Chinese rover Zhurong has significantly contributed to our understanding of Mars, one aspect remains unclear: the formation of polygonal structures found beneath the soil in the Utopia Planitia region.
In China's first independent Mars exploration mission, Tianwen-1, the Chinese National Space Agency dispatched the Zhurong rover to Mars in May 2021. Its destination was the surface of the Red Planet, specifically Utopia Planitia, where the largest impact basin on the northern plains of Mars is situated.
Having concluded its mission in August 2021, the rover amassed new information about Mars. It corroborated the presence of saline water on the planet, but some enigmas eluded explanation.
Unraveling the Enigma: The Chinese Rover's Discovery
Among the Zhurong rover's intriguing findings, the detection of polygonal structures hidden beneath the surface of Mars is perhaps the most baffling. The detailed research results have been published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
The structures in question are 16 polygonal formations unearthed beneath the soil. Some scientists posit these are sedimentary structures, shaped by thermal processes varying across different climates.
It is suggested these intriguing structures evolved during cycles of freezing and thawing, which later prompted the formation of cracks in the terrain. Data from the rover's radar indicates parts of the cracked terrain and its polygonal structure might have been buried, with the formations found at a depth of approximately 115 feet.
The Utopia Planitia region is situated within low to medium geographical latitudes, 25 degrees north of Mars's equator. It is suggested Mars might have had a greater inclination in the past, which could have given rise to distinctly different seasons in this region.
This novel theory may illuminate previously unknown aspects of the planet's history, suggesting a more variable climate on Mars in its past. It hypothesizes that these changing conditions may be attributed to a previously moist environment, now non-existent, or some other unidentified geological phenomena.
