400-foot tsunamis may have shaped the surface of Mars

Four-hundred-foot tsunamis may have shaped the surface of Mars — and the deposits from the waves could offer up proof to researchers of whether or not the planet was once habitable, The Guardian reports. According to the study done by the Planetary Science Institute, the giant waves might have been formed after two large meteorites slammed into the planet — and the tsunamis would possibly have been powerful enough to shape the coast of Mars' ancient ocean.

The study was launched after scientists noticed discrepancies between the shoreline of Mars' long-gone ocean and the expected features of such a body of water. Scientists then examined two deposits, which they believe are the remnants of dual tsunamis that occurred several million years apart.

The first tsunami left boulder-rich deposits and gouged out channels as the water returned to the ocean afterward. Because these deposits apparently haven't been disturbed, they could contain information about the ocean and whether or not it could have supported life. The second tsunami occurred when the planet was much colder, and was more like an ice surge — when the water hit the land, it froze solid and didn't backwash into the ocean.

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There could be even more ancient tsunamis to be discovered. "Although we have only identified evidence for two tsunami events in our study area, other regions in the northern plains likely experienced similar tsunami-related coastal resurfacing, perhaps associated with other impacts, huge landslides or large Marsquakes," the study's authors say.