A research team using new methods to analyze data from NASA's rover was able to verify that the halos contained water-rich opal, potentially serving as an important resource for human exploration.
The study found that the water and radiation-shielded conditions on the surface were not as good as those on the underground.
A large impact basin with a mountain in the middle is what NASA sent the rover to explore. Light-toned rocks that criss-cross certain parts of the Mars landscape, sometimes extending out far into the horizon of rover imagery, have been found by researchers. The halo networks were one of the last, if not the last, water-rich environments of the modern era. When conditions on the surface were harsher, the water-rich environment in the underground would have provided more habitable conditions.
As part of a new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, archival data from several instruments were examined and showed anomalies. A long time ago, the rover drove over one of these halos, and Gabriel and Sean joined the team.
They saw a large expanse of halos in the old images. The research team applied new methods to analyze instrument data. The halos were similar in composition to halos found later in the mission, with a lot of water and sand.
Gabriel said, "Our new analysis of archival data showed striking similarity between all of the fractured halos we've seen later in the mission." It was amazing to see that these fractured networks were so widespread.
Gabriel and his team of researchers studied the composition of light-colored rocks around the haloFractures in Gale crater. Gabriel was involved in previous studies that showed that the halos may be composed of a material that has important implications for the history of the crater. One of the instruments on the rover was able to pick up a signal from the large amount of water in Opal.
Scientists confirmed that the light-toned rocks at the Buckskin and Greenhorn drill sites were unlike anything they had seen before.
Gabriel said that the light-toned rocks were lighting up in the detector.
Gabriel and his team searched for opportunities to study these light-toned rocks again. After they arrived at the Lubango drill site, Gabriel led a campaign to confirm the composition of the fractured halos.
The process of dissolving sugar or salt in water is similar to the one that led to the discovery of opal. It settles at the bottom if there is too much salt. In places like lake and ocean bottoms and hot springs and geysers, silica can fall out of solution and form, which is similar to the environment at the national park.
Water-rich environments on Mars could have provided a safe haven from the harsh conditions on the planet's surface. In the winter, the temperature can go as low as minus 100 degrees in the night and as high as 30 degrees in the afternoon. Our atmosphere causes the crater to experience more radiation than the surface of Earth. You would be exposed to a radiation dose that equates to a daily X-ray on a daily basis.
The underground networks of fissures could have been much more hospitable to life than the harsh conditions of the surface.
Gabriel said that it's reasonable to expect that these potentially habitable subsurface conditions extended to many other regions of Gale Crater. After the ancient lakes in Gale Crater dried up, these environments would have arisen.
Future astronauts will benefit from the significance of finding opal on Mars, and exploration efforts could take advantage of the plentiful water resources on the red planet. Minor amounts of iron and water are found in Opal, which is made up of mostly two components. The water is not bound as tightly as it would be if it were a mineral. If you grind it down and apply heat it will release water. Gabriel and other scientists demonstrated this process.
One to 1.5 gallons of water can be found in the top foot of the surface of a single-meter halo thanks to the dedicated neutron experiments performed by Gabriel and his team.
There's a new water resource on Mars.
What does this find mean for Mars exploration? Water ice and other volatiles can be found on the poles of Mars. The equator of Mars is water poor, with no sign of water ice resources near the surface. Water-rich opal may be lining many landscapes across regions of Mars where scientists do not expect water.
The modern-day atmosphere doesn't seem to affect the water retention of the opal. There is growing evidence that shows the presence of opal elsewhere on Mars and this could be a great resource for future exploration activities on the red planet.
In water-rich environments, it was found in fractured rocks that formed later in geological time than the majority of rocks in Gale Crater. The ancient lake environment created a lot of the rocks in the crater. This shows that the water that formed the halos was present in the lower part of the body of water.
When exposed to water and fluctuations in temperature, it develops into a more spherical form. There wasn't much interaction with water after this opal was formed, according to the fact that it was so well preserved. The discoveries from the rover help us understand where the water is on the red planet.
The nature of water and hydrated materials buried just below the Martian surface were revealed by the results of the neutron detector, which was only expected to survive for a few years into the mission.
What are you going to do next?
Gabriel and the team continue to investigate the role of water in the formation and alteration of Martian rocks, but no one has been able to find new halos at recent elevation. Gabriel, a member of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, is eager to explore a new location on Mars to understand the nature of water-rich environments elsewhere on the red planet.
The Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets has more information. It was published on 10.1029/2020je006600.
Journal information: Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
All Rights Reserved © 2024
