Your current location:HOME >travel >China's Mars rover detects irregular wedges beneath red planet 正文
TIME:2024-05-07 22:14:08 Source: Internet compilationEdit:travel
(Xinhua) 11:22, November 25, 2023Photo released on June 11, 2021 by the China National Space Adminis
Photo released on June 11, 2021 by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) shows a selfie of China's first Mars rover Zhurong with the landing platform. (CNSA/Handout via Xinhua)
BEIJING, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Radars mounted on China's Mars rover Zhurong detected 16 irregular wedges buried underneath a vast plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars.
A collaborative team led by the researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified from the radar data the polygonal wedges below a depth of 35 meters within the rover's journey of approximately 1.2 kilometers, according to the study published on Thursday in the journal Nature Astronomy.
The study showed that the findings suggested a wide distribution of such terrain beneath Utopia Planitia, the largest basin on Mars.
Researchers proposed that the polygons were potentially generated by freeze-thaw cycles.
For polygons with diameters from centimeters to tens of meters, possible formation mechanisms may include contraction from dried-up wet sediments producing mud-cracks, contraction from cooling lava producing columnar jointing, faulting creating a jointing system in rock and thermal contraction cracking, according to the study.
Also, the contrast above and below about-35-meter depth represented a notable transformation of water activity or thermal conditions in ancient Martian time, implying that there was a climatic upheaval at low-to-mid latitudes.
The study also showed that drastic climate changes took place possibly due to the high obliquity of ancient Mars.
The findings point to more evidence for understanding the complex geological evolution and climate change of the red planet.
China's Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, was launched on July 23, 2020.
The lander, carrying the rover with an expected life span of at least 90 Martian days or about three months on Earth, touched down in the southern part of Utopia Planitia on May 15, 2021.
76ers president Daryl Morey has big plans to build NBA title team around Embiid and Maxey2024-05-07 22:13
China's first self2024-05-07 21:51
China's Zhang Jingyin makes debut for Trefl Gdansk2024-05-07 21:49
Xi Orders All2024-05-07 21:33
Turkey formally opens another former Byzantine2024-05-07 21:09
China Focus: China embraces wider winter sports, leisure participation2024-05-07 21:04
China defeats Brazil, to battle Poland in VNL Finals semis2024-05-07 21:00
Argentina wins friendly match as fans give warmest of welcomes in Beijing2024-05-07 20:03
Details of UK military personnel exposed in huge payroll data breach2024-05-07 19:58
Friendly visa policies to help boost tourism2024-05-07 19:49
Zimbabwe wins toss and bats first in 3rd T20 against Bangladesh2024-05-07 21:58
Company Law draft revision to bolster confidence2024-05-07 21:56
China's talent pool goes for glory2024-05-07 21:55
Argentina wins friendly match as fans give warmest of welcomes in Beijing2024-05-07 21:53
Atalanta comes from behind to beat Salernitana and improve Champions League chances2024-05-07 20:24
China, Indonesia communicating over chemical plant blast2024-05-07 20:19
Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region reports record tourism revenue in 20232024-05-07 20:16
Richarlison doubles for Brazil, controversial penalty helps Ronaldo make history2024-05-07 20:10
A US company is fined $650,000 for illegally hiring children to clean meat processing plants2024-05-07 19:58
China, Thailand sign visa exemption pact2024-05-07 19:47