Drag your mouse or move your phone to explore this 360-degree panorama provided by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. This view was captured inside the Gediz Vallis channel, which was likely formed by ancient floods and landslides. After Curiosity flew over a bright Martian rock and cut into it, scientists discovered it was filled with pure sulfur — something never before seen on Mars.
- Curiosity rover discovers pure sulfur crystals in Martian rock For the first time, surprising scientists.
- The varied landscape of Gediz Vallis was shaped by floods and landslides. and has provided evidence of dynamic water activity.
- The discovery raises new questions about the geological history of Marsas Curiosity continues to explore the Gediz Vallis channel, with the goal of understanding the ancient Martian environment and its potential to have supported microbial life.
This original article was first published by NASA on July 18, 2024. EarthSky Editions.
Researchers surprised by hidden content of Martian rock
Scientists were stunned on May 30, 2024, when a Martian rock that NASA discovered… The Martian explorer Curiosity He made his way to reveal something never before seen on the red planet: yellow sulfur crystals.
Since October 2023, the rover has been exploring a region of Mars rich in sulfates, a type of sulfur-containing salt that forms when water evaporates. But where sulfur-based minerals (in other words, a mix of sulfur and other materials) had been detected in the past, the rock Curiosity recently opened up is made of elemental, or pure, sulfur. It's not clear what relationship, if any, elemental sulfur has to other sulfur-based minerals in the area.
Although people associate sulfur with the smell of rotten eggs (the result of hydrogen sulfide gas), elemental sulfur is odorless. It forms only in a narrow range of conditions that scientists have not associated with the history of this place. And Curiosity found plenty of it: an entire field of shiny rocks that look just like the ones the rover crushed.
Curiosity Project Scientist Ashwin Vasavada from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory explained Why researchers were so surprised:
Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert. It shouldn't be there, so now we have to explain it. Discovering strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting.
*Cronch* I ran over a rock and found crystals inside!
It's pure sulfur (and no, it doesn't smell). Elemental sulfur is something we've never seen before on Mars. We don't know much about these yellow crystals yet, but my team is excited to investigate. https://t.co/Am07DuXpPX image.twitter.com/coIqWWGGJq
— Curiosity rover (@MarsCuriosity) July 18, 2024
A 'curious' discovery
It is one of several discoveries Curiosity has made in Gediz Valley Canala groove that winds along a 3-mile (5-kilometer) high portion of the road. Mount SharpThe rover has been climbing its base since 2014. Each layer of the mountain represents a different period of Martian history. Curiosity's mission is to study where and when the planet's ancient terrain might have provided the nutrients needed for microbial life, if it ever formed on Mars.
Image via POT/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Evidence suggests violent ancient floods and avalanches shaped Mars
The Gediz Vallis channel is one of the main reasons the science team wanted to visit this part of Mars. Scientists believe the channel was carved by flows of liquid water and debris that left a ridge of rocks and sediment that stretched 3.2 km down the mountainside beneath the channel. The goal has been to develop a better understanding of how this landscape changed billions of years ago, and while recent clues have helped, there is still much to learn from this spectacular landscape.
Since Curiosity arrived at the canal earlier this year, scientists have studied whether the large piles of debris rising from the channel floor were formed by ancient floods or landslides. Curiosity’s latest clues suggest both factors played a role: Some piles were likely caused by violent flows of water and debris, while others appear to be the result of more local landslides.
These conclusions are based on the rocks found in the debris mounds: while the stones carried by the water flows are rounded like river rocks, some of the debris mounds are riddled with more angular rocks that may have been deposited by dry avalanches.
Eventually, the water filtered out all the material that had settled here. Chemical reactions caused by the water bleached some of the rocks into “halo” shapes. Erosion by wind and sand has revealed these halo shapes over time.
Becky Williamsa scientist with the Institute of Planetary Sciences in Tucson, Arizona, and the deputy principal investigator for Curiosity's mast camera, or Mastcam Cameradescribed the initial chaos on the red planet:
It wasn't a quiet period on Mars. There was an exciting amount of activity here. We're observing multiple flows along the channel, including energetic floods and rock-rich flows.
Martian rock discovery: a hole in the 41st
All this evidence of water continues to tell a more complex story than the team's initial expectations, and they were eager to take a sample of Martian rock from the channel to learn more. On June 18, 2024, they got their chance.
Although the sulfur rocks were too small and brittle to be sampled with the drill, a large Martian rock nicknamed “Mammoth Lakes” was spotted nearby. Rover engineers had to search for a part of the rock that would allow for safe drilling and find a place to park on the loose, sloping surface.
After Curiosity drilled its 41st hole using the powerful drill located on the end of the rover's 2-meter (6.6-foot) robotic arm, the six-wheeled scientist dropped the powdered rock into instruments inside its belly for further analysis so scientists can determine what materials the rock is made of.
Curiosity has since moved away from Mammoth Lakes and is now heading out to see what other surprises await to be discovered within the channel.
Bottom line: The Curiosity rover has found sulfur crystals in a Martian rock for the first time. Researchers say they shouldn't be there and are looking for an explanation.
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