China's Zhurong rover discovers evidence of liquid water at low latitudes on Mars. This allows you to designate potentially habitable zones of the Red Planet, according to SciTechDaily..

The discovery refutes existing ideas that water on Mars can only exist in a solid or gaseous state.. It was made by analyzing the morphological features and the mineral state of the dunes in the region where the apparatus landed..

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In previous studies, scientists have established that liquid water existed in the past of Mars.. But after the disappearance of the early Martian atmosphere, the planet's climate changed dramatically.. The very low pressure and water vapor content make liquid water difficult to sustain on Mars today.. Therefore, scientists believed that water can exist there only in solid or gaseous form..

But droplets observed on the robotic arm of the Phoenix spacecraft showed that liquid salt water can appear in the high latitudes of Mars in the summer.. The simulations also showed that climatic conditions that are suitable for the appearance of liquid water can periodically be created in some regions of Mars today.. But so far no evidence has been found of the presence of liquid water at low latitudes..

Now Zhurong has filled that gap.. Using data from the rover's cameras, the scientists noticed important features on the surface of the dunes: crusts, cracks, granulations, polygonal ridges and a stripe-like footprint.. Analysis of the spectral data showed that the dune top layer is rich in hydrated sulfates, hydrated silica, ferric oxide minerals (especially ferrihydrite), and possibly chlorides..

“According to the meteorological data measured by Zhurong and other rovers, we concluded that these dune surface characteristics were associated with the participation of liquid salt water formed as a result of the subsequent melting of frost / snow falling on the salt surfaces of the dunes when cooling occurs,” said.

The appearance of salts in the dunes contributes to the melting of snow or hoarfrost with the formation of salty liquid water. When salt water dries, precipitated hydrated sulfates, opal, iron oxide, and other hydrated minerals cement the sand particles to form a crust.. After that, due to the shrinkage of the rock, the crust cracks.. The later process of frost/snow melting results in the formation of polygonal ridges and a streak-like mark on the surface of the crust.

The age of the dunes is approximately 400 thousand - 1.4 million years.

Scientists suggest that the transfer of water vapor from the polar ice sheet to the equator led to the fact that water appeared in the low latitudes of Mars. And this process was iterative. According to the researchers, then the water cooled, hoarfrost fell out, which subsequently led to the formation of crusts on the dunes.. Because of this, the dunes hardened and retained traces of water activity..

Previously, scientists talked about when humanity will be able to colonize other planets. They believe that the colonization of Mars is possible in the coming decades.