In 2019, the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature officially approved Oxia Planum as a feature on the surface of Mars (near 18.275°N 335.368°E).

[1][2] Oxia Planum was one of eight potential landing sites for the European Space Agency and Roscosmos ExoMars mission.

The site sits in an area of valley systems with the exposed rocks exhibiting different compositions, indicating a variety of deposition and wetting environments.

The formation of the dark resistant units is hypothesized to have occurred from either fluvial deposits or by volcanic activity during the Amazonian period.

[1][9] Clay accumulation underneath the remnants of a fan or delta near the outlet of Coogoon Vallis may offer preservation for biosignatures against the planet's harsh radiation and oxidation environment.