Science
Red Planet Awakening: Huge Water Deposits Discovered Just Beneath the Surface
22 January 2026
Evidence of Water on the Red Planet
New research published on January 12, 2026, in the journal npj Space Exploration, offers a startlingly different perspective on Mars. It turns out that our neighbor was once a “blue world” where a vast sea dominated the northern landscapes.
This breakthrough resulted from a collaboration between the University of Bern and Italy’s INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova. By analyzing high-resolution images from Mars orbiters, the team identified geological structures nearly identical to river deltas found on Earth.
While mapping Martian landscapes, I recognized mountains and valleys reminiscent of Earth’s rugged terrain. However, the deltas I discovered at the edge of a mountain range were particularly striking.
– says Ignatius Argadestya, a doctoral student at the University of Bern.
Scientists emphasize that on Earth, such formations only appear where rivers empty into larger bodies of water. According to the study’s authors, these features confirm that an ancient Martian ocean existed about 3 billion years ago.
How Researchers Proved the Existence of an Ancient Martian Ocean
Although wind-sculpted dunes now cover these ancient delta structures, their original forms remain clearly recognizable. Using these markers, the team reconstructed the former coastline and estimated the basin’s size with high accuracy. The data shows that this Martian sea was at least as large as Earth’s Arctic Ocean, stretching across the planet’s northern hemisphere.
We aren’t the first to suggest the existence of a northern ocean. However, previous claims relied on less precise data or indirect arguments. Our sea-level reconstruction rests on clear evidence of a shoreline, made possible by high-resolution imaging.
– explains Fritz Schlunegger, Professor of Exogenic Geology at the University of Bern.
Did Life Once Thrive on Mars?
The presence of a massive ocean suggests that Mars once possessed the necessary conditions for life to emerge. It also serves as a somber reminder of how planets change over eons.
We know Mars as a dry, red planet. Yet our results show it was once a blue world, much like Earth. This discovery also highlights how precious water is—and how it can eventually vanish.
– Argadestya notes.
Finding traces of an ancient Martian ocean provides a roadmap for future space missions. Delta deposits, rich in fine-grained material transported by rivers, are prime targets for rovers searching for biosignatures. Just as terrestrial deltas preserve traces of past ecosystems, scientists expect Martian rocks within these structures to hold the secrets of the planet’s biological history.
Read this article in Polish: Mars nie zawsze był czerwony. Naukowcy odkryli ślady oceanu
