China Plans to Complete a New Generation of Whole-Mars Geological Map by 2028

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 28, Hou Zengqian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist of the Tianwen-3 mission, revealed at a high-quality development symposium held by the Institute of Geology of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences that China plans to complete the compilation of a new generation of a whole-Mars geological map by the end of 2028 and propose a Chinese scheme for the division of Martian geological eras. The results include a 1:5,000,000 whole-Mars geological map, a 1:50,000 landing area geological map, and a series of specialized atlases, which will serve as an important part of the scientific preparation for the Tianwen-3 mission.

The new-generation geological map will incorporate the latest exploration results obtained by the Zhurong rover. These include geological evidence that an intercontinental-scale ancient ocean still existed on Mars about 3.5 billion years ago, and that short-term floods may have occurred about 1.6 billion years ago. Previous subsurface radar detection by Zhurong has identified two sets of sedimentary sequences in the southern Utopia Planitia, one of which is located about 10 to 30 meters underground. Research suggests that it may be related to short-term floods, long-term weathering, or repeated impacts since about 1.6 billion years ago.

The mapping will make maximum use of data from the Tianwen-1 mission while integrating Mars exploration data obtained by U.S. and European space agencies. It will fuse multimodal information such as imagery, spectra, radar, gravity, and magnetic fields to establish a global multiphysical-field coupling database for Mars. Artificial intelligence technology will participate in remote-sensing geological interpretation. The research team plans to introduce geological knowledge into models through a rule engine and use multiscale recognition methods to complete everything from local mineral identification to the division of global tectonic units.

Hou Zengqian previously disclosed on September 3 that the new generation of the whole-Mars geological map takes "data-driven, intelligent mapping" as its core approach, and version 1.0 of the 1:5,000,000 whole-Mars geological map is planned to be completed by the end of 2028. The Tianwen-3 mission has now entered the preliminary prototype development stage. Its primary scientific goal is to search for potential traces of life on Mars, and the final landing area is expected to be determined by the end of 2026.

After the new-generation geological map is completed, a 1:50,000 fine-scale geological map of the landing area and a series of specialized atlases will also be produced, and it will be released as the world's first intelligent Mars geological map. The related mapping system is also planned to be used for subsequent geological mapping of celestial bodies such as the Moon, Venus, and asteroids.