A new study of unusually bleached rocks suggests that Mars was once home to wet, humid regions that experienced heavy rainfall, similar to tropical regions on Earth.
Researchers were intrigued by the peculiar light-colored stones that NASAThe Perseverance rover is discovered on the surface of Mars. Upon closer inspection, the rocks turned out to be kaolinite, a clay rich in aluminum, the scientists reported in a study published Dec. 1 in the journal. Connection Earth and environment.
“Until we can get to these large outcrops with a rover, these small rocks will be our only ground-based evidence,” Briony Horganplanetary scientist at Purdue University and co-author of the study, the statement said.
The presence of kaolinite on Mars adds weight to the hypothesis that The Red Planet Was a Wet Oasis at some point in the distant past, although there is still debate about when and how it dried up.
Leading hypotheses suggest that the planet has lost water somewhere between 3 and 4 billion years ago, when magnetic field weakened enough for solar winds to destroy its atmosphere. But the process was likely complex and multifaceted. Studying these ancient clays could give scientists more information about how and when Mars lost its water, the researchers say.
According to Broz, this could also provide clues about the potential habitability of Mars, since “all life uses water“
