The evidence was gathered through wave ripple patterns photographed by the Curiosity rover, which point to the presence of exposed liquid water on Mars.

Researchers analyzed the ripple structures, which are approximately 0.2 inches tall and spaced about 1.6 to 2 inches apart, indicating the lakes were likely less than 2 meters deep.

While previous missions, starting with Opportunity in 2004, indicated signs of water flow on Mars, the existence of stable lakes was uncertain until this discovery.

These findings bolster earlier evidence of long-lived ancient lakes on Mars, enhancing our understanding of the planet's early climate history.

Details of this significant discovery were published in the journal Science Advances on January 15, 2025.

Claire Mondro, a sedimentologist at CalTech, noted that the shape of the ripples suggests they formed in water that was open to the atmosphere and influenced by wind.

This finding challenges existing Martian climate models that propose all water was covered by ice, indicating that shallow lakes were indeed present on the planet's surface.

The images capturing these ripples were taken on November 4, 2022, during Sol 3642 in the Amapari Marker Band within Gale Crater's foothills.

Mars's atmosphere and surface water have significantly diminished over billions of years due to the loss of its magnetic field, which exposed the planet to solar radiation and led to the evaporation of carbon dioxide and water.

The lakebeds where these ripples were found are believed to have formed around 3.7 billion years ago, suggesting that Mars once had a warm and dense atmosphere capable of supporting liquid water longer than previously thought.

NASA's Curiosity rover has made a groundbreaking discovery of ancient ripples on Mars, suggesting the existence of shallow lakes billions of years ago.

The extended presence of liquid water in these ancient lakes raises the possibility that microbial life could have existed on Mars, allowing more time for evolution.