Hunt For Ancient Ocean Features On Mars Reveals Red Planet’s Equivalent Of A Continental Shelf

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Source : https://www.iflscience.com/hunt-for-ancient-ocean-features-on-mars-reveals-red-planets-equivalent-of-a-continental-shelf-83188

 

 

 

 

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PUBLISHED 15 April 2026

 

Hunt For Ancient Ocean Features On Mars Reveals Red Planet’s Equivalent Of A Continental Shelf

The idea for an ancient, vast, northern ocean on Mars just got even more evidence.

Dr. Alfredo Carpineti

Space & Physics Editor

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.View full profile

Edited byHolly Large

Elevation maps of Mars reveal major differences between the northern and southern hemispheres.

Image credit: NASA/JPL

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Since the first close-up observations of Mars, the ground of the Red Planet has revealed evidence of rivers, lakes, and more. The whole northern hemisphere of Mars is at a lower elevation, showing fewer craters than the southern. This suggested an ancient ocean, but the evidence for a shore was a bit muddled. New research drops that approach completely and finds a