For the first time, China’s Zhurong rover discovered indications of recent water activity on Mars, indicating that the Red Planet has a few locations where conditions are adequate for life to exist.
According to Chinese scientists, the rover, which landed on Mars in 2021, discovered liquid water on dunes in low latitudes, i.e., closer to the equator and away from the planet’s poles. Scientists have long assumed that Mars originally had an earth-like temperature and an ocean running across its surface three billion years ago, which would have been quite different from the current arid and barren environment.
What has puzzled them is where all this water went, with scientists speculating that the majority of it became stuck in the planet’s outer layer, or crust. So far, no evidence has been presented to demonstrate the presence of liquid water at low latitudes on Mars.
However, Friday’s discovery is a significant step forward in understanding Mars’ evolutionary history, as it provides future possible clues for extra-terrestrial life. However, the scientists pointed out that the rover did not directly detect any water in the form of frost or ice, but rather observed salt-rich dunes with cracks and crusts.
Saltwater on Mars dune leaves behind minerals and clues for understanding Martian climate and search for life
Because temperatures on Mars fluctuate wildly and peak between 5 and 6 a.m., the saltwater evaporated, leaving behind salt and other newly formed minerals that later seeped between the dune’s sand grains, cementing them to form a crust.
“This is important for understanding the evolutionary history of the Martian climate, looking for a habitable environment, and providing key clues for the future search for life,” said Professor QIN Xiaoguang, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who led the research.
He and his colleagues analyzed data from the Zhurong rover’s Navigation and Terrain Camera (NaTeCam), Multispectral Camera (MSCam), and Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe). Their research discovered that the dune’s surface layer was rich in hydrated sulfates, hydrated silica, iron oxide minerals, and perhaps chlorides.
“According to the measured meteorological data by Zhurong and other Mars rovers, we inferred that these dune surface characteristics were related to the involvement of liquid saline water formed by the subsequent melting of frost/snow falling on the salt-containing dune surfaces when cooling occurs,’ said Professor QIN.