Beijing, China — Data from China's Zhurong Mars rover has provided compelling evidence that liquid water persisted on the Red Planet significantly longer than previously estimated, with substantial aqueous activity detected as recently as approximately 750 million years ago. This finding extends Mars' known wet history by several hundred million years, challenging existing models of the planet's climatic evolution.
The breakthrough comes from a new peer-reviewed study published in the National Science Review, led by researchers at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Announced on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, via state media outlets including Xinhua, the research analyzes high-resolution ground-penetrating radar data collected by Zhurong at its landing site in southern Utopia Planitia, a vast plain in Mars' northern hemisphere.
Liu Yike, the study's first and corresponding author, explained that the radar observations revealed fine-layered sediments with uniform thickness and continuity. "The uniform thickness and continuity of the sedimentary rule out the possibility of volcanic eruptions or wind-driven processes," Liu stated. "The only reasonable explanation is that this area was in an aqueous sedimentary environment at that time, similar to a shallow sea or a large lake."
The data indicate a major resurfacing event during the middle-late Amazonian Period—Mars' most recent geological epoch, beginning around 3 billion years ago and continuing to the present. Prior consensus among planetary scientists held that widespread liquid water on Mars largely disappeared by the end of the Hesperian Period, roughly 3-3.5 billion years ago, transitioning to a colder, drier climate with water mostly locked in polar ice or subsurface reservoirs.
Zhurong's findings push evidence of sustained surface or near-surface liquid water into the Amazonian, specifically around 750 million years ago. "Comprehensive analysis indicates that the landing site of Zhurong underwent a significant resurfacing event during the middle-late Amazonian Period, and that sustained aqueous activity still existed on Mars during this period," Liu added.
Launched as part of China's Tianwen-1 mission in July 2020, Zhurong successfully landed on Mars on May 14, 2021, making China the second nation after the United States to operate a rover on the Martian surface. The six-wheeled, solar-powered rover, named after the ancient Chinese god of fire, explored southern Utopia Planitia for over a year, traveling nearly 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) and conducting scientific investigations until entering hibernation in May 2022 due to harsh winter conditions and dust accumulation. It was equipped with instruments including the Rover Penetration Radar (RoPeR), which probed up to 100 meters below the surface.
Utopia Planitia has long been of interest to scientists as a potential ancient basin that may have hosted an ocean or large lakes billions of years ago. Previous missions, such as NASA's Viking 2 lander (1976) and Phoenix (2008), also targeted the region, uncovering evidence of past water ice. Zhurong's radar data builds on these, revealing stratified sediments and buried features inconsistent with purely aeolian (wind-based) or volcanic origins.
The study's implications are profound for understanding Mars' habitability. Prolonged liquid water would suggest periods of warmer, wetter conditions capable of supporting microbial life, even in the relatively recent geological past. Hydrated minerals detected elsewhere on Mars have hinted at late-stage water, but Zhurong provides direct in-situ evidence from equatorial latitudes.
This discovery aligns with ongoing global Mars exploration efforts. NASA's Perseverance rover, operating in Jezero Crater since 2021, has collected samples showing ancient lake and river environments from over 3.5 billion years ago. The European Space Agency and Roscosmos' ExoMars program, along with upcoming missions like China's Tianwen-3 sample return (planned for the late 2020s), aim to further probe these questions.
Chinese scientists emphasize that the findings underscore the value of multi-national perspectives in planetary science. The Zhurong mission has already yielded insights into Martian subsurface structures, polygonal terrain possibly formed by freeze-thaw cycles, and potential modern water traces in dune features.
While the Amazonian Period is generally considered arid, intermittent water activity—perhaps driven by geothermal heating, obliquity changes, or impacts—could explain the observations. Future analyses of Zhurong's full dataset, combined with orbital imagery from missions like NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, may refine timelines and mechanisms.
The research team calls for continued international collaboration to unravel Mars' hydrological history, crucial for assessing past life potential and planning human exploration. As Liu noted, these results "extend the record of liquid water activity on Mars," painting a picture of a more dynamic planet than the frozen desert observed today.
This announcement coincides with renewed global interest in Mars, amid preparations for crewed missions in the 2030s and 2040s by NASA, China, and private entities like SpaceX.
