China’s Zhurong rover used ground-penetrating radar to find signs of beaches beneath Mars’ surface, adding evidence to the idea the planet hosted an ancient ocean.

Mars may have once had a vast, ice-free ocean, according to new evidence from China’s Zhurong rover. Using ground-penetrating radar, the rover revealed sloping, sand-like deposits underground that strongly resemble beach formations on Earth.

China's Mars rover discovered evidence of an ancient Red Planet beach. Here's why scientists are excited about this.

Data obtained by the Chinese Zhurong Martian rover has revealed what look like sandy beaches on Mars's northern plains.

The evidence comes from data collected by China’s Zhurong Mars rover, which landed in the Utopia Planitia region of Mars in 2021. Unlike other rovers traversing the planet, Zhurong arrived with high- and low-frequency radar systems that allow it to conduct ground-penetrating scans of the Martian subsurface.

Scientists have discovered that Mars once had beaches. While the past presence of water on the Red Planet is no longer in doubt, experts have now found layers of rock beneath Mars' surface, suggesting the likely existence of an ancient ocean.