(ORDO NEWS) — Rippled rock textures discovered by Curiosity indicate that lakes existed in the Mount Sharp region on ancient Mars.
When the Curiosity rover arrived at the sulfate-bearing region last fall, scientists thought it was the latest evidence that lakes once covered this region of Mars.
This is due to the fact that the rock layers formed in drier conditions than the rocks in the regions studied earlier. It is believed that the sulfates in the area were left behind when the water dried to a trickle.
The Curiosity team was surprised to find the clearest evidence of ancient water ripples that formed in the lakes.
Billions of years ago, waves on the surface of a shallow lake stirred up sediments on the bottom, eventually creating undulating textures that remained on the rock.
Since 2014, the rover has been climbing to the foot of Mount Sharp. Its height is 5 kilometers.
The mountain was once riddled with lakes and streams that would provide a rich environment for microbial life if such existed on Mars.
Mount Sharp is made up of layers. The oldest is at the foot of the mountain, and the youngest is at the top.
As it ascends, the rover advances along the Martian timeline, allowing scientists to study how Mars evolved from a planet with a warmer climate and an abundance of water to an icy desert.
Climbing almost half a kilometer above the base of the mountain, Curiosity found that these undulating textures were preserved in the so-called “marker strip” – a thin layer of dark rock that stands out from the rest of Mount Sharp.
This rock layer is so hard that Curiosity was unable to extract a sample from it despite several attempts.
Another clue to the history of ancient water on Mars lies in the Gediz Vallis valley. The channel passing through it, which begins higher on Mount Sharp, was washed away by a small river.
Scientists suspect that wet landslides also took place here, due to which boulders and debris fell to the bottom of the valley.
Since the resulting pile of boulders is on top of other layers in the valley, it is clear that this is one of the youngest features on Mount Sharp.
Curiosity saw the debris twice on the Gediz Vallis Range last year, but was only able to see it from afar. The rover team hopes to be able to see these boulders later this year.
Another clue found in the marker strip is the unusual texture of the stone. It may be caused by some kind of regular weather or climate cycle, such as dust storms.
Not far from the corrugated textures are rocks consisting of layers that are evenly distributed in distance and thickness.
This kind of rhythmic pattern in rock layers on Earth is often formed due to atmospheric phenomena occurring at periodic intervals.
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