Scientists were amazed when a rock that NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover drove over cracked open to reveal yellow sulfur crystals. Since October 2023, the rover has been exploring a region of Mars rich with sulfates, but this is the first time it has found pure sulfur.
The discovery was unexpected because elemental sulfur doesn’t usually form in this area. The rover found an entire field of bright rocks that looked similar to the one it crushed open. Finding something like this is exciting because it challenges scientists’ understanding of the Martian environment.
Curiosity has been exploring a region called Gediz Vallis channel, which was carved out by ancient floods and debris flows. The rover discovered that both floods and landslides played a role in shaping the landscape. It found rocks that were rounded from being carried by water flows, as well as more angular rocks that may have been deposited by dry avalanches.
The rover also found evidence of chemical reactions caused by water soaking into the rocks, which created white “halo” shapes. Erosion from wind and sand has revealed these halo shapes over time.
To learn more about this region, Curiosity took a rock sample using its drill. This is the 41st hole the rover has drilled, and it will help scientists determine what materials the rock is made of.
The mission’s goal is to study where and when Martian terrain could have provided nutrients for microbial life, if any ever formed on Mars. The rover continues to explore this region, uncovering new surprises along the way.+
+Source: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-curiosity-rover-discovers-a-surprise-in-a-martian-rock?utm_source=perplexity