Scientists studying the Martian surface are getting a closer look at an ancient region that could reveal whether Mars’ subsurface once provided an environment suitable for life. The NASA Curiosity rover has drilled a sample from a new area, showcasing features that could help answer this question.
New images and data collected by the rover show a region with characteristics similar to those observed only from orbit. This discovery raises questions about how the Martian surface changed billions of years ago. Mars once had rivers, lakes, and possibly an ocean, but its water eventually dried up, transforming it into a desert.
The rover has encountered low ridges with a boxwork pattern, which are thought to have formed when groundwater trickled through rock, leaving behind minerals that accumulated in cracks and fissures. Eons of sandblasting by Martian wind wore away the rock but not the minerals, revealing these resistant networks within.
These patterns stretch across miles on Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall mountain whose foothills the rover has been climbing since 2014. What’s intriguing is that similar patterns haven’t been spotted anywhere else on the mountain, either by Curiosity or orbiters passing overhead.
NASA’s project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada, notes that the formation of these ridges is a mystery. “As we drive on, we’ll be studying the ridges and mineral cements to make sure our idea of how they formed is on target.”
The rover is currently exploring a layer with an abundance of salty minerals called magnesium sulfates, which form as water dries up. This discovery suggests that this layer emerged when the climate became drier. Even in this environment, water was still present underground.
Scientists are eager to gain more insight into why these boxwork patterns formed and how they can help understand Mars’ ancient habitable environment.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/mars-science-laboratory/curiosity-rover/nasas-curiosity-mars-rover-starts-unpacking-boxwork-formations