Geologists have indicated that an area in the delta region near the Perseverance rover’s location may contain fossil evidence of extraterrestrial life.
In a study published on October 7 in the journal Science, geologists analyzed images taken by the Perseverance rover, describing how water flowed on Mars billions of years ago.
The study revealed that the area on Mars may contain biosignatures, which scientists have been searching for over the years.
View from the Perseverance rover over the Jezero crater towards the delta plains. (Photo: NASA).
Mars was once covered by bodies of water similar to those on Earth, which is also a sign of life. However, large bodies of water on Mars dried up decades before the atmosphere disappeared. Since then, Mars has become a barren, harsh landscape.
Scientists have been studying the existence of water on Mars for many years. This is why the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated the Mars 2020 mission, using the Perseverance rover to search for traces of life on the “Red Planet.”
According to CNET, the exploration site of Perseverance around the Jezero crater, which is believed to have been flooded with water, is surrounded by delta plains that may contain traces of life. The sediment layers of the delta are one of the key research targets in the search for ancient life.
“We all know that water once flowed on the surface of Mars, but we cannot determine how long it flowed,” said Nicolas Mangold, a geologist at the University of Nantes (France) and author of the study.
To achieve this goal, researchers aimed to analyze the delta region of Jezero. Through images captured by Perseverance, scientists not only analyzed the main delta area of Jezero but also observed a hill named Kodiak, which is part of the further delta.
“You can imagine the delta extending a bit to the south and east, but erosion has taken away some of the material… It’s remarkable that Kodiak is still there,” Mangold said.
The delta region of Jezero crater captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. (Photo: NASA).
“By analyzing the stratigraphy of Kodiak, we can identify potential traces of preserved life,” Mangold mentioned, expressing surprise at seeing the first images with large rock formations that should not exist in an unaltered delta.
According to Mangold, these rock formations indicate that the Jezero river delta is of the Gilbert type, formed by strong water flows such as waves or tides. The research team believes that the river flow suddenly became stronger, possibly due to climate change.
“This indicates that there was a lake at the Jezero crater. Additionally, the transition from horizontal bedding to faulting suggests the water level in the area in the past,” Mangold’s team suggested that the deeper layers of Kodiak could consist of mud and sand, types of sediment that contain organic molecules necessary for life.
According to Mangold, the team’s goal is to send humans to Mars, using aircraft to access and analyze the fault locations of the Kodiak hill in the future.
