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Mars Rovers Uncover Evidence of Ancient Water and Carbon Cycles

NASA’s Perseverance and Curiosity rovers reveal mineral records of water activity and a carbon cycle, shedding light on Mars’ habitability and atmospheric evolution.

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover sees its tracks receding into the distance at a site nicknamed “Ubajara” on April 30, 2023. This site is where Curiosity made the discovery of siderite, a mineral that may help explain the fate of the planet’s thicker ancient atmosphere. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
A "self-portrait" of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle on Vera Rubin Ridge on the planet Mars, which the rover has been investigating for the past several months, according to NASA, in this handout photo mosaic assembled from dozens of images taken January 23, 2018 and released January 31, 2018. NASA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY/File Photo
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Overview

  • Perseverance's PIXL instrument, enhanced with X-ray Backscatter Diffraction Mapping, identified two generations of sulfate minerals in Jezero Crater, indicating multiple wet periods beneath the surface.
  • Curiosity rover detected siderite, an iron carbonate mineral, in Gale Crater samples, marking the first in situ evidence of an ancient Martian carbon cycle.
  • The discovery of 5–10% siderite by weight suggests a significant carbon reservoir, potentially explaining the loss of Mars' thick CO₂ atmosphere.
  • Carbonates were previously undetectable in orbital data due to masking by magnesium sulfate salts, suggesting hidden deposits across Mars.
  • These findings provide critical insights into Mars' transition from a habitable environment to its current barren state, informing future exploration and sample-return missions.