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NASA Rovers Reveal Ancient Carbon Cycle and Water History on Mars

Curiosity and Perseverance uncover evidence of past carbon sequestration and diverse aqueous environments, shedding light on Mars' transition from habitable to barren.

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

  • Curiosity detected abundant siderite in Gale Crater, providing the first in situ evidence of an ancient Martian carbon cycle and atmospheric CO2 sequestration.
  • Perseverance's advanced X-ray diffraction mapping identified two generations of calcium sulfate minerals in Jezero Crater, indicating multiple water-related events.
  • Mars' carbon cycle was imbalanced, with more CO2 sequestered into rocks than released, contributing to atmospheric thinning and habitability loss.
  • The lack of plate tectonics on Mars prevented recycled CO2 from returning to the atmosphere, unlike Earth's stable carbon cycle.
  • These findings refine models of planetary habitability and guide future exploration strategies by highlighting Mars' warm, wet past and its dramatic climate transition.