Chinese findings on Mars suggest water existed for longer on planet's surface

Hydrated minerals discovered by China's robotic rover on Mars in a vast basin believed to be the site of an ancient ocean suggest that water was present on the planet's surface for longer than previously thought, said Chinese scientists.

According to an analysis of data sent back by the rover, Zhurong, signs of water were detected in sampled minerals from just 700 million years ago, the scientists said in a paper published on Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

Mars is believed to have been...