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Noachis Terra

Extensive ancient rivers on Mars revealed in new study

by Rachel Kim – Technology Editor July 27, 2025

written by Rachel Kim – Technology Editor

Mars Was Wetter Than Previously Thoght, New Study Reveals Ancient River Systems

A recent analysis of data from two Mars orbiters has uncovered evidence of extensive ancient river systems in the Noachis Terra region of Mars, suggesting the Red planet experienced a significantly wetter climate billions of years ago than previously understood.

The findings, presented at the National Astronomy Meeting 2025, indicate that the widespread distribution of sinuous ridges, characteristic of ancient riverbeds, points to a similarly widespread source of water. Researchers believe precipitation was the most probable source, implying a more benign surface habitat on early Mars.

According to the study, the formation of mature, interconnected river systems, some tens of meters high, woudl have required these favorable conditions to persist for a geologically important period. This suggests that approximately 3.7 billion years ago, the Noachis Terra region of Mars likely experienced prolonged warm and wet conditions.

The research, drawing on data from Mars orbiters, was highlighted by the Royal Astronomical Society and further explored in related articles discussing precipitation on ancient Mars and the potential for microbial life in Martian clays.

paul Scott Anderson

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About the Author:

Paul Scott AndersonS lifelong captivation with space exploration, sparked by Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos,” has led him to a career in space journalism. With a background in English, writing, art, and computer design, he founded the blogs “The Meridiani Journal” (later “Planetaria”) and “Fermi Paradoxica,” focusing on planetary science and the search for extraterrestrial life. Anderson has contributed freelance articles to publications such as Universe Today, SpaceFlight Insider, AmericaSpace, and The Mars Quarterly, and provided supplementary writing for the iOS app Exoplanet. He has been a writer for EarthSky since 2018 and also assists with proofing and social media.

July 27, 2025 0 comments

Health

Mars Once Wet: Ancient Rivers Reveal Warmer, Wetter Past

by Dr. Michael Lee – Health Editor July 21, 2025

written by Dr. Michael Lee – Health Editor

Mars once Thrived with Abundant Water,New Study Reveals

Jakarta – Evidence unearthed from the Martian surface suggests the Red Planet was a far wetter and more dynamic world than previously understood,especially around 3.7 billion years ago.

A recent study, analyzing ancient, inverted river channels stretching over 9,000 miles (approximately 14,484 kilometers) in the Noachis Terra Selatan region, indicates that Mars experienced a substantially more active geological past.

“New evidence shows that Mars used to be a planet that is far more complex and active than now, which is very captivating to be involved,” stated adam Losekoot, the study’s lead from the British Open University, as quoted by Live Science on Monday, July 21, 2025.

The findings propose that Mars experienced more frequent rainfall than earlier scientific models suggested. Losekoot’s research indicates that surface water may have been stable in Noachis Terra during the noachian-Hesperian transition, a period of meaningful geological and climatic change approximately 3.7 billion years ago.

The study’s focus on the “backs of winding rivers,” identified as inverted ancient river channels, serves as compelling proof of the presence of surface water billions of years ago.

“Studying Mars, especially areas that have not been explored such as Noachis Terra, are very interesting because the habitat has not changed for billions of years. Mars is like a time capsule that records the basic geological processes in an unfeasible way to do the earth,” Losekoot elaborated.

To gather this data, Losekoot and his team utilized instruments including the Context Camera (CTX), the mars Orbiter laser Altimeter (Mola), and the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (Hirise).This facts allowed them to map the location, length, and morphology of ridge systems across a vast area.

The interconnected nature of the hill formations in Noachis Terra suggests that water conditions in this region were relatively long-lasting, implying a sustained warm and wet environment during that geological epoch.

This finding challenges the prevailing theory that Mars was predominantly cold and dry, with its valleys primarily formed by meltwater from sporadic and brief warming events.

(hps/afr)

July 21, 2025 0 comments

Technology

Mars: 15,000 km of Ancient Riverbeds Suggest a Wetter Past

by Rachel Kim – Technology Editor July 15, 2025

written by Rachel Kim – Technology Editor

Here’s a breakdown of the provided text, focusing on the key information and arguments:

Main Topic: The nature of Mars’ climate during the Noachian-Hesperian transition (around 3.7 billion years ago) and the formation of water-related surface features.

The debate:

Theory 1 (Warm & Wet): Early mars was warm and wet enough for liquid water to be stable on the surface for extended periods.
Theory 2 (Cold & Dry): Mars was generally cold and dry, with water features forming only sporadically from ice melt during short warm periods.New Research Focus:

Region Studied: Noachis Terra, a region where “warm, wet” climate models predict high precipitation.
Feature Studied: Fluvial sinuous ridges (also known as inverted channels).
Formation: These are believed to form when sediment deposited by rivers hardens and is later exposed as surrounding material erodes.
Significance: their presence suggests widespread flowing water, with precipitation being the most likely source.

Key Findings of the New Research:

Prevalence: Fluvial sinuous ridges are common in Noachis Terra,with a cumulative length exceeding 15,000 km. Extent: some of these ridge systems are hundreds of kilometers long and form extensive, interconnected networks. Implication for Climate: The existence of these extensive, interconnected systems suggests that the watery conditions were “relatively long-lived,” meaning Noachis Terra experienced “warm and wet conditions for a geologically relevant period.”

Conclusion of the research:

The findings challenge existing theories that Mars was generally cold and dry, with water features formed only by sporadic ice-sheet meltwater.
The research supports the idea that Mars was a more complex and active planet in its past.

methodology:

Researchers used data from three orbital instruments:
Context Camera (CTX)
Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA)
High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE)
These datasets allowed them to map the location, length, and morphology of ridge systems.

Presentation of Results:

* The findings were presented on July 10 at the Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting 2025 in Durham, UK.

In essence, the research presented provides new evidence from Noachis Terra that supports the “warm and wet” early Mars climate model by demonstrating the widespread and long-lived presence of river systems, as indicated by extensive fluvial sinuous ridges.

July 15, 2025 0 comments