The area agencys Curiosity rover made the unexpected discovery while examining clay-rich sedimentary rocks around its landing website in Gale Crater, a former lake that was made when an asteroid struck the Red Planet roughly 3.6 billion years ago.Clay is an excellent signpost towards proof of life due to the fact that its usually developed when rocky minerals weather away and rot after contact with water– a crucial ingredient for life.”The rover completed its analysis by drilling into the layers of the Martian rock prior to using its chemistry and mineralogy instrument, understood as CheMin, to investigate the samples.The process of chemical improvement in sediments is called diagenesis, and it might have created brand-new life below Mars even as it erased some of the evidence of the old life on its surface, according to the research study authors. Even though old records of life might have been removed in the brine patches, the chemical conditions brought about by the increase of salty water may have made it possible for more life to spring up in its place, the scientists stated.
The area firms Curiosity rover made the surprising discovery while investigating clay-rich sedimentary rocks around its landing site in Gale Crater, a former lake that was made when an asteroid struck the Red Planet approximately 3.6 billion years ago.Clay is a great signpost towards evidence of life since its usually produced when rocky minerals weather away and rot after contact with water– a crucial ingredient for life.”The rover completed its analysis by drilling into the layers of the Martian rock prior to using its chemistry and mineralogy instrument, known as CheMin, to examine the samples.The process of chemical improvement in sediments is called diagenesis, and it might have produced new life below Mars even as it removed some of the evidence of the old life on its surface, according to the study authors. Even though old records of life may have been erased in the salt water spots, the chemical conditions brought about by the influx of salted water may have made it possible for more life to spring up in its location, the researchers stated.