For decades, there have been claims that Mars could be the next home to humans. However, its environment is too harsh for humanity to survive, but NASA's Curiosity rover reportedly found the first tangible evidence that the Red Planet once had the same condition as Earth.
Mars Had Earth-Like Conditions Billions of Years Ago
The Curiosity rover from NASA has been scouring Mars for life for 11 years. Scientists now believe that the Red Planet formerly possessed Earth-like conditions that could have allowed microorganisms to exist 3.6 billion years ago after discovering an odd array of polygon-shaped fissures in the soil of Mount Sharp in 2021.
Wet and dry cycles akin to the seasons we currently experience on Earth may have existed on Mars, as suggested by the strange mud fissures on the lakebed of an old lake. These cycles are essential for promoting the development of carbon-based "polymers," which serve as the building blocks of organic substances and even DNA, which give rise to life.
According to lead scientist William Rapin of France's Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, this is the first concrete proof that the ancient climate of Mars experienced such regular, Earth-like wet-dry cycles.
These were discovered in an old lake sandwiched between saltier sulfite and clay-rich sediment layers.
Given that clay typically forms in damp environments and sulfites typically form as any water evaporates, the two opposing layers imply that wet and dry cycles once existed.
It is thought that peculiar cracks also appeared around this time, changing from dried-up "t-junctions" to hexagonal shapes due to water exposure.
Polymers, considered life's primary chemical constituents, are long chains of carbon-based molecules that may have also been created.
The "Old Soaker," a neighboring rock, also had similar fissures found in 2017. Although some scientists think temperatures were much warmer than they are now, allowing a flow of liquid water, it is unclear why these cycles may have halted.
According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Ashwin Vasavada, this paper broadens Curiosity's discoveries.
He said they already have a lot of evidence that microbial life could have existed on ancient Mars after 11 years of research. The mission has now discovered evidence of circumstances that may have also assisted in creating life.
Since there are no tectonic plates on Mars, unlike Earth, old sediments are not deeply buried and are quite well preserved.
Because of this, researchers think they can analyze prehistoric biology and geology in more detail.
Rapid added that we are incredibly fortunate to be close to a planet like Mars that still contains evidence of the natural processes that may have given rise to life.
NASA Curiosity Found Best Evidence of Water on Mars
It's not the first time Curiosity brought record-breaking data about the Red Planet. Earlier this year, while exploring Mount Sharp, the rover found rippled textures, reportedly due to waves, suggesting the presence of water on Mars billions of years ago.
Vasavada of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California claimed that despite climbing numerous lake deposits during their mission, they had never observed wave ripples like it before. It was reportedly "the best evidence of water and waves" they had observed throughout the entire operation.
Over the rippling layer, they also discovered certain rocks that had recurring thickness and spacing patterns. There are several layers on Mars, but none are as regular as the one they found on Mount Sharp.
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