New research reveals that Mars still experienced water activity as recently as about 750 million years ago, challenging the long-held scientific view that the planet became cold and dry around 3 billion years ago. By analyzing high-resolution images and spectral data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), a research team identified mineral deposits in an ancient impact crater in Mars’ southern hemisphere that were clearly shaped by flowing water. These deposits include clay minerals and sulfates—substances that typically form only in the presence of liquid water. Crucially, the geological layers hosting these features have been dated to the Late Hesperian to Early Amazonian periods, approximately 750 million years ago. This suggests that Mars retained localized conditions capable of supporting liquid water far later than previously thought—possibly due to brief climate warming episodes or subsurface heat sources melting ice. The discovery not only expands our understanding of Mars’ hydrological history but also identifies new potential sites in the search for ancient microbial life. Future missions, such as ESA’s ExoMars or NASA’s Mars Sample Return campaign, may prioritize these younger aqueous regions to hunt for preserved biosignatures.
最新研究表明，火星在约7.5亿年前仍存在水活动。这一发现挑战了此前科学界普遍认为火星在30亿年前就已变得干燥寒冷的观点。研究团队通过分析美国宇航局（NASA）火星勘测轨道飞行器（MRO）传回的高分辨率图像和光谱数据，在火星南半球一处古老撞击坑内识别出由水流形成的矿物沉积结构。这些结构包含黏土矿物和硫酸盐，通常需要液态水参与才能形成。更重要的是，这些地质特征所处的地层年代被测定为晚赫斯珀里亚纪（Late Hesperian）至早期亚马逊纪（Early Amazonian），距今约7.5亿年。这意味着火星在远比预想更晚的时期仍具备支持液态水存在的局部环境条件，可能包括短暂的气候变暖或地下热源引发的融冰事件。这一发现不仅拓展了我们对火星水文历史的认知，也为寻找古代微生物生命提供了新的潜在目标区域。未来任务如欧空局的ExoMars或NASA的火星样本返回计划，或将优先考察此类年轻水蚀区域，以探寻可能保存的生命痕迹。
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