{"id":17022,"date":"2022-08-25T20:00:49","date_gmt":"2022-08-25T18:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=127001"},"modified":"2022-08-25T20:18:10","modified_gmt":"2022-08-25T18:18:10","slug":"rock-samples-collected-by-perseverance-rover-hold-tantalising-clues-about-water-and-life-on-mars","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/rock-samples-collected-by-perseverance-rover-hold-tantalising-clues-about-water-and-life-on-mars\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock samples collected by Perseverance rover hold tantalising clues about water and life on Mars"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Neil McKim\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 25 August 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Rock samples collected by NASA\u2019s Perseverance rover from ancient Martian lake beds could finally provide us with clues to the existence of conditions conducive to harbouring life on the Red Planet.<\/p>\n

Since September 2021, Perseverance has been busy collecting samples in the Jezero Crater, an area that is believed to contain evidence of an ancient river delta and lake bed.<\/p>\n

NASA scientists have started to investigate the geological makeup of the craters using the tools on board the rover that can take pictures of, and analyse, the basic chemical composition of rocks.<\/p>\n

Although these rocks are being stored on the Red Planet, ahead of a return mission in the 2030s, scientists are already taking stock of the valuable insights they may reveal about Mars\u2019s watery past.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiscovering when that delta [in the Jezero Crater] was deposited is one of the main objectives of our sample return programme,\u201d said Prof David Shuster<\/a>, a member of NASA\u2019s science team.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat will quantify when the lake was present and when the environmental conditions were present that could have been amenable to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mission scientists discovered that rocks collected from four sites on the crater floor are igneous cumulate rocks, which are formed by the cooling of molten magma.<\/p>\n

The name \u2018cumulate\u2019 refers to a group of rocks that are formed by crystal accumulation, and it\u2019s hoped that the study of these rocks will not only reveal when a lake was present at the Jezero Crater, but also shed light on when major events occurred in the Martian climate\u2019s timeline.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe study of the rocks will address some major questions,\u201d said Prof Kenneth Farley<\/a>, Perseverance\u2019s project scientist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen was Mars\u2019s climate conducive to lakes and rivers on the planet\u2019s surface? And when did it change to the very cold and dry conditions we see today?\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior to Perseverance, geologists expected to find Jezero Crater\u2019s floor filled with sediment or lava \u2013 molten rock that spilled onto the surface and cooled rapidly.<\/p>\n

Instead, at one pair of sample sites, known as S\u00e9\u00edtah, they discovered rocks that appeared to have formed underground and cooled slowly.<\/p>\n

Samples from a second pair of sites at M\u00e1az, were found to be igneous too, but with a different composition, suggesting they may have come from the upper layer of the magma lake. Scientists believe that both these sets of samples \u2013 from S\u00e9\u00edtah and M\u00e1az \u2013 were formed by the action of water.<\/p>\n

The M\u00e1az rocks were found to contain pockets of minerals that may have condensed from salty brine, while the S\u00e9\u00edtah rocks may have reacted with carbonated water, according to chemical analyses onboard the rover.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll have to wait until at least 2031 for more precise details about the times when these various layers might have formed, following laboratory analysis back on Earth, but the evidence about Mars\u2019s watery past is already stacking up.<\/p>\n