NASA’s “Perseverance” rover has determined that the rocks in Mars’ Jezero crater have interacted with water multiple times over different periods; this process included the activity of hot groundwater. This new discovery suggests that Mars could have been a much wetter and geologically more active world in the past compared to its current state.
elchi reports that the region located along the inner edge of the crater, called the “Margin Unit,” had previously been identified through orbital observations. Scientists initially expected the rover to encounter sedimentary rocks there—that is, deposits accumulated on the shore of an ancient lake.
However, the rover’s discovery of igneous rocks (rocks formed by the cooling of molten material at underground depths or as a result of volcanic activity) revealed a complex history of water-related processes.
Three distinct stages of the water cycle
Analyses conducted via the rover’s “SuperCam” instrument confirmed that the rocks in that area were repeatedly exposed to water. In the first stage, carbonate minerals were formed as a result of carbon dioxide-rich groundwater reacting with igneous minerals.
In the second stage, silica-rich rocks were formed under the influence of the ancient lake. Finally, mineral veins containing calcium sulfate and fluorite were discovered, indicating that hot water circulated among the volcanic rocks.
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