Mars are proven to have experienced powerful tsunamis three billion years ago. An impact crater is seen that proves the hypothesis.
Just like Earth, Mars have experienced several powerful tsunamis for the last three billion years ago. In a report from BBC News, a team of scientists believes that the red planet was triggered by the forceful and gigantic asteroid that created the 150-high waves as it dropped into an ocean.
According to Tech Times, the findings will be detailed at the 48th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Meanwhile, the asteroid dropped in the northern part of the ancient Mars and created great impact crater in the area.
Lead Researcher and University of Paris Sub-professor Dr. Francois Costard mentioned at an interview that it was his team who found the typical tsunami deposits on Mars. The deposits were located in between the northern hemisphere of the planet. "It supports that there was, at that time, a northern ocean," Costard said.
The discovery somehow showed that there was a northern ocean in that area billions of years ago. The idea of an existing ocean on that part of mars before was just a theory. But now, the discoveries of the impact crater greatly confirm the evidence of tsunamis. To further support the findings, the team identified and tracked the appearance of sediment.
Before the theory was supported by the impact crater, the terrain was conceptualized as mud volcanoes, huge glaciers, and mud flow. However, if it's really a tsunami which caused the huge terrain, there's really an ocean in Mars' northern plains.
The gigantic tsunamis washed the hills and plateaus going through the valleys that leave the deposits. Two great waves were found to washed the hills and formed the impact crater.
The Lomonosov impact crater on Mars was named after the 18th Century Russian polymath Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. Eventually, aside from this discovery of Dr. Costard's team, there are other teams who are reportedly finding more evidence of tsunamis on Mars.
