In the distant past, Mars was apparently much richer in water than previous models had suggested. NASA has announced new findings from the Perseverance rover, according to which rocks on the rim of Jezero Crater bear traces of several distinct periods of water activity.
Scientists had originally expected to find primarily sedimentary rocks formed on the shore of an ancient lake in the area known as the “Margin Unit.” However, Perseverance discovered igneous rocks whose chemical composition indicates that they came into contact with water at least three times.
According to NASA, the area was influenced in the past by lakes, groundwater, and hydrothermal fluids. Each of these stages left its own mark on the rocks.
The discovery helps scientists more accurately reconstruct the history of water on Mars and the environment that may have been more conducive to the emergence or existence of microbial life in the distant past.
Jaroslav Holý