The research focuses on the Gale crater, a 154 km-wide depression near Mars' equator, which once contained a lake. The team's investigation reveals that this area retained water much later into Mars' history than once thought, as evidenced by deformed layers within a desert sandstone that researchers say could only result from water's influence.
Dr. Steven Banham, lead author from Imperial's Department of Earth Science and Engineering, elaborates on the nature of the water's presence, noting it could have been in forms of pressurized liquid, ice, or brine, each capable of causing the observed sediment deformation. This finding not only alters the timeline of water presence on Mars but also opens new directions for habitability research.
Historically, Mars is believed to have lost most of its surface water by the mid-Hesperian period, approximately 3.7 to 3.0 billion years ago. The new evidence suggests underground water persisted near Mars' surface well into the late Hesperian, pointing towards a more protracted phase of potential habitability.
This reevaluation of Mars' water history is part of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, leveraging the Curiosity rover's exploration since 2012. Curiosity's journey through Gale crater and up Mount Sharp has provided a sedimentary record from the planet's once aquatic past to its current desert state. Particularly, the Stimson formation, a layer of desert sandstone, revealed water-influenced structures, challenging previous assumptions about the area's geological history and its implications for life.
Dr. Banham and Amelie Roberts, a study co-author and PhD candidate at Imperial, emphasize the significance of these findings for future Mars exploration. Previously overlooked desert sandstones like the Stimson formation now present new prospects for detecting biosignatures.
In essence, this study not only recasts Gale crater as a prolonged oasis in Mars' drying narrative but also suggests a broader habitable window for the planet, enhancing the quest for ancient life signs. Funded by the UK Space Agency, the Austrian Space Applications Programme, and NASA, the research marks a major shift in our understanding of Mars' environmental evolution and its capacity to support life.
Research Report:Ice? Salt? Pressure? Sediment deformation structures as evidence of late-stage shallow groundwater in Gale crater, Mars
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