The radars mounted on the Chinese robber Zhurong During their mission, they discovered sixteen irregular wedges buried beneath a vast plain in Mars’ northern hemisphere.

A collaborative team led by researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified the radar data as polygonal wedges at a depth of 35 meters within the rover’s path of about 1.2 kilometers, according to the study now published in the journal Nature Astronomyinforms Xinhua.

The study found that findings indicated a wide distribution of such terrain beneath Utopia Planitia, the largest basin on Mars.

The researchers suggested that the polygons may have been generated by freeze-thaw cycles.

For polygons with diameters from centimeters to tens of meters, possible formation mechanisms may include shrinkage by dry, wet sediments causing mud cracks, shrinkage by cooled lava producing columnar joints, fractures creating a system of joints in the rock and thermal shrinkage cracks, according to the study.

Furthermore, the contrast above and below about 35 meters depth represented a remarkable transformation of water activity or thermal conditions in early Martian times.implying that there was climatic unrest at low to mid latitudes.

The study also showed that drastic climate changes occurred, possibly due to the high tilt of ancient Mars.

The findings point to more evidence to understand the red planet’s complex geological evolution and climate change Europe Press.

China’s Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, was launched on July 23, 2020 and landed in the southern part of Utopia Planitia on May 15, 2021. It conducted scientific studies for more than a year before going silent. (JO)