PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Ancient river systems reveal Mars was wetter than we thought

2025-07-09
(Press-News.org) Royal Astronomical Society press release

RAS PR 25/30 (NAM 10)

9 July 2025

Embargoed until Thursday 10 July 2025 at 00:01 BST

The discovery of more than 15,000 kilometres of ancient riverbeds on Mars suggests that the Red Planet may once have been much wetter than previously thought.

Researchers looked at fluvial sinuous ridges, also known as inverted channels, across Noachis Terra – a region in Mars' southern highlands. These are believed to have formed when sediment deposited by rivers hardened and was later exposed as the surrounding material eroded.

Similar ridges have been found across a range of terrains on Mars. Their presence suggests that flowing water was once widespread in this region of Mars, with precipitation being the most likely source of this water.

The new research, led by Adam Losekoot – a PhD student at the Open University, funded by the UK Space Agency – is being presented today at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting 2025 in Durham.

The findings indicate that surface water may have been stable in Noachis Terra during the Noachian-Hesperian transition, a period of geologic and climatic change around 3.7 billion years ago.

Noachis Terra has not been studied as extensively as other regions of Mars, in part because it contains few valley networks, which are branching erosional features that have traditionally been used to infer historical rainfall and runoff.

The study instead focuses on fluvial sinuous ridges as an alternate form of evidence for ancient surface water.

"Studying Mars, particularly an underexplored region like Noachis Terra, is really exciting because it's an environment which has been largely unchanged for billions of years. It's a time capsule that records fundamental geological processes in a way that just isn't possible here on Earth," said Losekoot.

He and his team used data from three orbital instruments: the Context Camera (CTX), the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE).

These datasets allowed the team to map the locations, lengths and morphologies of ridge systems across a wide area.

Many of the features appear as isolated ridge segments, while others form systems extending for hundreds of kilometres and rising tens of metres above the surrounding terrain.

The broad distribution and form of these ridges suggest that they likely formed over a geologically significant period under relatively stable surface conditions.

The spatial distribution and extent of the features indicate that the water source was precipitation.

"Our work is a new piece of evidence that suggests that Mars was once a much more complex and active planet than it is now, which is such an exciting thing to be involved in," said Losekoot.

The fact that the ridges form extensive interconnected systems suggests that the watery conditions must have been relatively long-lived, meaning Noachis Terra experienced warm and wet conditions for a geologically relevant period.

These findings challenge existing theories that Mars was generally cold and dry, with a few valleys formed by ice-sheet meltwater in sporadic, short periods of warming.

ENDS

Media contacts Sam Tonkin

Royal Astronomical Society

Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 700

press@ras.ac.uk

 

Dr Robert Massey

Royal Astronomical Society

Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 699

press@ras.ac.uk

 

Megan Eaves

Royal Astronomical Society

press@ras.ac.uk

Science contacts Adam Losekoot

adam.losekoot@open.ac.uk

Images & captions Figure 1

A moderately eroded fluvial sinuous ridge (FSR), with lots of small craters in it, that stands out clearly above the surrounding material. To the north east it emerges from a small valley and becomes progressively clearer to the west, until it disappears. There is a clear curve in the FSR, likely a meander. North of the FSR is a round, flat feature that was likely an impact crater which was filled with water or sediment. CTX image: MurrayLab_V01_E020_N-20_Mosaic

Credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS/The Murray Lab

 

Figure 2

Two east-west branches of an FSR. These preserve an area where a river split and then rejoined (off image). The lower branch is heavily eroded and quite spread out, the upper branch is narrower but more clearly preserved. These may have been exposed for different amounts of time, undergone different geological processes, or represent different periods of river activity. There are remnants of an infilling material within the ridge and a meander where the branch turns back towards the lower trunk. Between the two branches is a kind of mesa, this may be a pedestal of harder material or a crater that was filled in with the same material as the FSRs.

Credit: HiRISE Image: ESP_085519_1585 NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

 

Figure 3

Branch of an FSR in HiRISE in a merged IRB image. Horizontal layers clear in the side of the main ridge and channel infill present on top of the ridge. The layers are evidence of the ridge material being formed by sediment in a river environment.

Credit: HiRISE Image: ESP_084451_1585 NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

 

Figure 4

Merged IRB image of a narrow FSR with a pointed top (pinnacle ridge) and a meander. The pointed top may show that this FSR has been eroded heavily for a long time until only a narrow peak remains, or it may be that only a narrow part of the original river infill has been preserved. Credit: HiRISE Image: ESP_067439_1505 NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

 

Figure 5

Colour image of a flat top, heavily eroded FSR. Sand dunes can be seen migrating over the top of the FSR.

Credit: HiRISE Image: ESP_085386_1505 NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

 

Figure 6

Oblique view of part of a system of FSRs, recording multiple river tributaries, likely all active at the same or similar times. This shows rivers meandering, areas where river banks have burst and fine layers of sediment have been deposited around the river, and branching. At the top of the image is a really clear example of an area where two FSRs intersect with an infilled crater. This is likely where the river flowed into the crater, filling it up and then breaching the other side to continue through the crater and down to the bottom of the image. CTX image: MurrayLab_V01_E020_N-20_Mosaic

Credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS/The Murray Lab

Further information The talk 'The Fluvial History of Noachis Terra, Mars' will take place at NAM at 17:12 BST on Thursday 10 July 2025 in room TLC116. Find out more at: https://conference.astro.dur.ac.uk/event/7/contributions/607/

If you would like a Zoom link and password to watch it online, please email press@ras.ac.uk

 

The Context Camera, called CTX, provides a big-picture, background view of the terrain around smaller rock and mineral targets that are studied by other cameras on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. CTX makes observations simultaneously with high-resolution images collected by HiRISE and data collected by the mineral-finding CRISM spectrometer. The High Resolution Imaging Experiment is known as HiRISE. It takes pictures that cover vast areas of Martian terrain while being able to see features as small as a kitchen table, and has photographed hundreds of targeted swaths of Mars' surface in unprecedented detail. The camera operates in visible wavelengths, the same as human eyes, but with a telescopic lens that produces images at resolutions never before seen in planetary exploration missions. These high-resolution images enable scientists to distinguish objects on Mars about 3 feet (1 metre) and to study the morphology (surface structure) in a much more comprehensive manner than ever before. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) was an instrument on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft that mapped the topography of Mars using laser altimetry. It operated from September 1997 to June 2001, collecting data on the height of surface features. This data was used to create detailed topographic maps and study the planet's geology and past climate. Notes for editors The NAM 2025 conference is principally sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society and Durham University.

 

About the Royal Astronomical Society

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science.

The RAS organises scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognises outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 4,000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.

The RAS accepts papers for its journals based on the principle of peer review, in which fellow experts on the editorial boards accept the paper as worth considering. The Society issues press releases based on a similar principle, but the organisations and scientists concerned have overall responsibility for their content.

Keep up with the RAS on Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Download the RAS Supermassive podcast

 

About the Science and Technology Facilities Council

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK’s largest public funder of research into astronomy and astrophysics, particle and nuclear physics, and space science. We operate five national laboratories across the UK which, supported by a network of additional research facilities, increase our understanding of the world around us and develop innovative technologies in response to pressing scientific and societal issues. We also facilitate UK involvement in a number of international research activities including the ELT, CERN, the James Webb Space Telescope and the Square Kilometre Array Observatory.

linkedin.com/company/stfc

ukri.org/councils/stfc

 

About Durham University 

Durham University is a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research based in historic Durham City in the UK. 

We are a collegiate university committed to inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham and in the world. 

We conduct research that improves lives globally and we are ranked as a world top 100 university with an international reputation in research and education (QS World University Rankings 2026). 

We are a member of the Russell Group of leading research-intensive UK universities and we are consistently ranked as a top five university in national league tables (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide and The Complete University Guide). 

For more information about Durham University visit: www.durham.ac.uk/about/

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Online toolkit to help parents of autistic children improve dental health

2025-07-09
University of Leeds | Embargo: 00.01 Thursday July 10, 2025 | With case study, pics and video  A new, free, online support package aims to empower parents of young autistic children to look after their dental health – and reduce levels of tooth decay and surgery.  It follows a study led by the University of Leeds, which highlights the oral health challenges faced by autistic children. The research team has collaborated with autistic youngsters, their families, and early-years professionals to co-design the support package, following parents’ ...

The psychological and neurological parallels between sports fandom and religious devotion

2025-07-09
An in-depth exploration of the psychology of sports fandom has revealed striking similarities between the neurological and psychological patterns of devoted sports fans and religious dedication. These similarities are explored in new book The Psychology of Sports Fans, which demonstrates how, for nearly five billion people globally, sport fulfils fundamental psychological needs for belonging, identity, and meaning. The comprehensive analysis shows that sports fandom stems from evolutionarily ingrained tendencies which enhance social unity and therefore survival. Professor Aaron C. T. Smith explains: “Our ...

Agricultural liming in the US is a large CO2 sink, say researchers

2025-07-09
Adding lime to agricultural soils can remove CO2 from the atmosphere, rather than cause CO2 emissions, claims new research. The findings, based on over 100 years of data from the Mississippi River basin and detailed computer modelling, run counter to international guidelines on reducing agricultural emissions. The research is presented today [Thursday 10 July] at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague. The team, from the Yale Centre for Natural Carbon Capture at Yale University, show that the addition of acidity, in the form of atmospheric pollution and fertilisers, is the main driver for CO2 emissions from soils. By calculating emissions based on acid inputs, they show how ...

Seaside more likely to make us nostalgic than green places, study finds

2025-07-09
People in the UK and US are more likely to feel nostalgic towards places by the sea, lakes or rivers than they are towards fields, forests and mountains, according to new research. The study suggests that coastlines may have the optimal visual properties to make us feel positive emotions, and argues that ‘place nostalgia’ offers significant psychological benefits.   Seaside and oceanside spots account for over a quarter of nostalgic places identified by UK residents (26%) and one-fifth (20%) of US residents in the University of Cambridge-led study.   Rivers and lakes raise the figure to around a third (35% UK; 30% US). ...

Psilocybin delays aging, extends lifespan, Emory study suggests

2025-07-09
As revenues from the anti-aging market-- riddled with hope and thousands of supplements–– surged past $500 million last year, Emory University researchers identified a compound that actively delays aging in cells and organisms.  A newly published study in Nature Partner Journals’ Aging demonstrates that psilocin, a byproduct of consuming psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, extended the cellular lifespan of human skin and lung cells by more than 50%.  In parallel, researchers also conducted the first long-term in vivo study evaluating the systemic effects of psilocybin in aged mice ...

Buck Institute awarded DARPA contract to pioneer next-gen AI modeling platform

2025-07-09
The Buck Institute for Research on Aging has secured a significant contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to spearhead the Simulation and Inference of Microbial Behavior and Adaptation (SIMBA) project. In collaboration with DARPA's Simulating Microbial Systems (SMS) Program, this initiative will develop a cloud-based platform integrating multi-dimensional, multi-omic data to simulate the dynamic behavior of microbial cells. Dr. James Yurkovich, Research Assistant Professor at the Buck Institute and Principal Investigator of the SIMBA Team, stated, ...

Orange is the new aphrodisiac—for guppies

2025-07-09
It turns out colour isn’t just fashionable for guppies: According to a new UBC study, the more orange a male, the more virile it is. The research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution shines light on an enduring evolutionary mystery: why male guppies have such vibrant and varied colours and patterns. Virile me up Zoologists Drs. Wouter van der Bijl and Judith Mank used deep learning, genetic studies and bred three generations of increasingly orange guppies to investigate. They found the more colourful males were up to two times more sexually active, performing for females at a greater rate and for longer periods of time, and attempting to sneakily copulate ...

Murals boost Cincinnati’s vitality, community development

2025-07-09
Cities across the U.S. are increasingly turning to murals as tools for placemaking, cultural expression and neighborhood revitalization — and Cincinnati is a standout among them. With more than 300 murals across the city, including 55 in one historic district alone, public art has become a defining feature of Cincinnati’s streetscape. Now, a new study published in the international urban design journal Cities offers fresh insights into how murals contribute to vibrant, walkable neighborhoods. The study is led by Hyesun Jeong, assistant professor of urban design in the University of Cincinnati’s School of Art at the College of Design, Architecture, Art, ...

Ad blockers may be showing users more problematic ads, NYU Tandon study finds

2025-07-09
Ad blockers, the digital shields that nearly one billion internet users deploy to protect themselves from intrusive advertising, may be inadvertently exposing their users to more problematic content, according to a new study from NYU Tandon School of Engineering. The study, which analyzed over 1,200 advertisements across the United States and Germany, found that users of Adblock Plus's "Acceptable Ads" feature encountered 13.6% more problematic advertisements compared to users browsing ...

Verbal response time reveals hidden sleepiness in older adults

2025-07-09
A new study led by UCLA investigators shows that Verbal Reaction Time (VRT), the amount of time it takes a person to respond verbally, can be a marker of sleepiness in older adults. The study, which measured participants’ voice data through standardized cognitive assessments, show how VRT can passively detect excessive sleepiness, especially among older individuals using sedative medications. Why it matters Sleepiness is a major contributor to safety risks in daily life, but is often underreported or unnoticed, especially among older ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Children’s social media activity highlights emotional stress of living with long-term health issues

New tool maps hidden roles and risks in ecosystems

New breakthrough method to protect quantum spins from noise

Chemicals from turmeric and rhubarb could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria lurking in wastewater

Instant cancer diagnosis with light and AI!

New electroenzymatic strategy enables non-natural oxidation reactions

Tunable laser light

Scientists uncover magnetic-field control of ultrafast spin dynamics in 2D ferromagnets

New AI-powered model accurately predicts lung motion with minimal radiation

AI language models show promise in predicting liver cancer treatment outcomes

Tracking insect and bug health in a heartbeat from a digital camera

'Talking fish' not heard by conservation policies, SFU study warns

Thirty years of research shows increased resistance in fungi

Junk food ‘avoids advertising regulation’ with top level UK sports sponsorship

Banking on AI while committed to net zero is ‘magical thinking’, claims report on energy costs of big tech

Ancient river systems reveal Mars was wetter than we thought

Online toolkit to help parents of autistic children improve dental health

The psychological and neurological parallels between sports fandom and religious devotion

Agricultural liming in the US is a large CO2 sink, say researchers

Seaside more likely to make us nostalgic than green places, study finds

Psilocybin delays aging, extends lifespan, Emory study suggests

Buck Institute awarded DARPA contract to pioneer next-gen AI modeling platform

Orange is the new aphrodisiac—for guppies

Murals boost Cincinnati’s vitality, community development

Ad blockers may be showing users more problematic ads, NYU Tandon study finds

Verbal response time reveals hidden sleepiness in older adults

University of Maryland School of Medicine launches groundbreaking study on THC/CBD therapy for dementia-related agitation at end of life

Targeting stem-property and vasculogenic mimicry for sensitizing paclitaxel therapy of triple-negative breast cancer by biomimetic codelivery

SRSF7 promotes pulmonary fibrosis through regulating PKM alternative splicing in lung fibroblasts

Psychological stress-activated NR3C1/NUPR1 axis promotes ovarian tumor metastasis

[Press-News.org] Ancient river systems reveal Mars was wetter than we thought