- By Supratik Das
- Mon, 08 Dec 2025 02:49 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Mars river systems mapping: For the first time, researchers have mapped large-scale ancient river systems on Mars, showing that Mars once had extensive, interconnected water networks similar in scale to major river basins of the Earth, like the Ganga and the Amazon.
According to the groundbreaking study led by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), It identifies 16 massive river drainage basins on Mars. It is the first thorough attempt at mapping the large, well-organized river systems on the red planet.
Evidence Of Wetter, Warmer Mars
Researchers say the findings strengthen long-standing theories that Mars was once warm, wet, and capable of supporting life. Billions of years ago, rainfall likely carved valleys and rivers across the planet’s surface, funnelling water into lakes, canyons, and possibly vast ancient oceans.
“These environments on Earth are often rich in biodiversity. If similar conditions existed on Mars, they could have supported microbial life,” said study co-author Dr Timothy A. Goudge, Assistant Professor at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences.
First-Ever Global Drainage Mapping
The team analysed datasets from NASA's Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and Context Camera (CTX) aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and then used ArcGIS Pro mapping software to trace valley networks, lakes, sediment deposits, and outlet canyons to recreate how water once moved across ancient Mars.
valley network near Idaeus Fossae on Mars, captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Photo Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Out of 19 identified clusters of waterways, 16 qualified as major drainage basins, each extending over more than 1,00,000 square kilometres. “We’ve known for a long time that there were rivers on Mars, but we didn’t know how organised they were at a planetary scale,” Goudge said. “Now we do.”
Despite covering only 5 per cent of Mars’ ancient surface, these large basins accounted for around 42 per cent of all river-driven sediment erosion on the planet. Scientists estimate that nearly 28,000 cubic kilometres of sediment were transported through these systems. Such sediment movement is crucial because sediments often contain nutrients that could support life.
Why Mars Has Fewer Large Rivers Than Earth
Unlike Earth, Mars lacks active tectonic plates, which shape mountains and valleys that help form extensive river systems. This is believed to be the key reason Mars has fewer large river basins compared to Earth’s 91 major watersheds, including the vast 6.2 million sq km Amazon basin.
Scientists say the newly identified drainage basins will play a key role in guiding future Mars exploration missions searching for signs of ancient life. “These basins are now priority targets for habitability studies,” Goudge said. “If life ever existed on Mars, these regions give us the best chance of finding its traces.”
Mars is estimated to have formed about 4.5 billion years ago, with surface water possibly lasting until two billion years ago, according to earlier studies. The planet later lost much of its atmosphere and magnetic field, exposing it to solar radiation that stripped away most of its water.
Thus, the discovery reshapes current understanding of Mars’ climate history, showing that the planet once hosted complex, planet-wide water circulation systems similar to early Earth.