Chinese Rover Reveals Ancient Martian Ocean and Carbon Dioxide Ice

Researcher Peter Buhler has proposed a model explaining how ancient Mars maintained liquid water despite cooling and atmospheric thinning. His study suggests that carbon dioxide ice on Mars' south polar cap acted as an insulator and added pressure, allowing water to melt and form subglacial rivers. These rivers, which eventually froze, created eskers and contributed to the formation of large bodies of water like the Argyre Planitia ocean. This model relies on processes still observed on Mars today, without requiring unexplained warming events.