Previous missions “discovered ripples formed by water flowing across the surface of ancient Mars, but it was uncertain if that water ever pooled to form lakes or shallow seas,” Grotzinger ...

Recent research unveils compelling evidence of Martian wave ripples formed billions of years ago, offering clear signs of ancient shallow water bodies open to the planet’s atmosphere.

created as wind-driven water laps back and forth. The two sets of ripples indicate the former presence of shallow water that was open to the Martian air, not covered by ice as some climate models ...

In 2022, NASA's Curiosity Rover discovered two sets of wave ripples at the bottom of Gale Crater, suggesting the previous presence of shallow water that was open to the Martian atmosphere ...

This led the researchers to deduce that the lake was shallow, at less than about 2 meters deep. The researchers assert that the ripples represent wind blowing on open water. Some studies in the past ...

These ripples, a byproduct of wind interaction with water, are frequently observed in shallow lakes, beaches, and coastal areas on Earth. The ripples are about 4 to 5 centimeters apart on Mars ...