NASA's Curiosity Rover Reveals Evidence of Ancient Water Flows on Mars

NASA's Curiosity rover has recently taken its first detailed images of a section of Mars that scientists believe reveals traces of how water once flowed across the planet. According to NASA, Mars is known to have had rivers, lakes, and possibly even an ocean in the past, but over time, these water sources dried up, leading to the arid landscape we see today.

The new photos captured by Curiosity display "dramatic evidence" of ancient groundwater, featuring crisscrossing low ridges that form a distinctive “boxwork pattern” across a mountain on Mars. NASA explains that the bedrock beneath these ridges likely originated from groundwater that seeped through the rock, leaving behind minerals which solidified in cracks and crevices, creating a cement-like structure.

When viewed from space, these ridges resemble intricate spiderwebs and had only been documented from orbital imaging until now. Curiosity's project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada, expressed curiosity about the reason behind the unique hardening of these ridges into such distinct patterns and why this phenomenon appears limited to this specific area. As the rover continues its journey, the team plans to investigate these formations and their mineral cements to validate their hypotheses about the formation processes.

Moreover, the ridges contain small fractures filled with calcium sulfate—mineral deposits that had not previously been observed in this region of Mount Sharp, where Curiosity is exploring. Curiosity's deputy project scientist, Abigail Fraeman, noted that these calcium sulfate veins were once abundant but seemed to have vanished as the rover ascended Mount Sharp. The team is eager to explore why these minerals have reappeared at this altitude. Curiosity has been operating on Mars since its landing in Gale Crater in 2012, specifically climbing Mount Sharp since 2014 in search of signs that could indicate past life-supporting environments.