NASA’s Perseverance rover has detected what scientists believe may be the underground remains of an ancient river delta on Mars, offering some of the strongest evidence yet that water once flowed across the planet’s surface billions of years ago.
The rover, operated by NASA, used ground-penetrating radar to collect data indicating what researchers describe as some of the oldest evidence of flowing water ever found on Mars.
Perseverance, which was sent to search for signs of ancient life, has been exploring the Jezero Crater for the past four years.
The six-wheeled rover, which landed on Mars in 2021, transmitted data revealing geological features buried as deep as 115 feet (35 metres) beneath the surface of Jezero Crater, located in the planet’s northern hemisphere. Scientists believe this region was once flooded and may have contained an ancient lake basin.
Using this data, researchers estimate that the buried delta dates from around 3.7 to 4.2 billion years ago, suggesting it formed relatively early in Mars’s history.
They also found that this newly identified delta predates a nearby surface formation known as the Western Delta, which is estimated to be between 3.5 and 3.7 billion years old.
River deltas on Earth naturally concentrate sediments and create niches favourable to microbial life, making them key targets in the search for past life.
According to UCLA planetary scientist Emily Cardarelli, “From the features mapped by RIMFAX, we believe that Jezero Crater hosted an ancient, water-rich environment capable of biosignature preservation, which existed before the formation of Jezero’s Western Delta.”
A biosignature is chemical or physical evidence that indicates past or present life.
Water is considered essential to the possibility of life, and growing evidence that Mars once had a wetter climate continues to be of major scientific interest.
In November 2025, scientists reported what they believe to be the first recorded electrical activity in the Martian atmosphere, suggesting the planet may be capable of producing lightning.
These electrical discharges, nicknamed “mini lightning”, were detected through audio and electromagnetic recordings captured by the rover.
In September 2025, Perseverance also identified a reddish rock formed billions of years ago from lakebed sediment. Scientists say the sample contains potential signs of ancient microbial life, although they caution that the minerals observed could also have formed through non-biological processes.
An unknown projectile struck a tanker 68 nautical miles northeast of Saudi Arabia on Friday according to a report released by the United Kingdom Ma...
Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy and water systems, combined with damaged homes and rising living costs, could force more people to flee t...
The AnewZ documentary “Counterpoint: Two Centuries of German-Azerbaijani Shared History” investigates the story of German settlers who ...
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It comes after a deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people last week.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called it “a disgrace” that Ukraine has resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries. Attacks are continuing from Russia and Ukraine as media reports say Ukraine has almost run out of Patriot interceptor missiles.
An unknown projectile struck a tanker 68 nautical miles northeast of Saudi Arabia on Friday according to a report released by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Saturday.
France is preparing for a fresh wave of nationwide demonstrations this weekend as rising living costs, education concerns and growing political tensions converge into one of the most significant protest movements seen in the country in recent years.
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has called for closer cooperation between the United Kingdom and the United States, arguing that the transatlantic partnership remains essential to addressing modern security challenges and maintaining stability across Europe.
Satellite restrictions affecting Ukraine's military have put SpaceX's Starshield network under scrutiny, raising questions about who controls the technology and who can restrict its use during wartime.
More than three centuries after the dodo disappeared from Mauritius, efforts to bring the iconic bird back from extinction are taking a new step forward.
Hackers forced the temperature of fridges and freezers in hundreds of French supermarkets up to 50 degrees Celsius overnight, causing fires and food losses in what the Paris Prosecutor’s Office described as a “large-scale” attack.
A software engineer employed by OpenAI has been arrested and charged by U.S. authorities after investigators alleged he secretly placed a concealed recording device inside an executive conference room at the artificial intelligence company.
NASA's Perseverance rover has set a new driving record on Mars, travelling 45.2 kilometres since landing in 2021 and surpassing every other robotic vehicle to explore a world beyond Earth, the U.S. space agency said on Tuesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment