Stormy river flowed on Mars: NASA showed evidence

Scientists continue to explore Mars, inspired by the idea of possible colonization. NASA's Mars rover Perseverance recently sent images back to Earth that show signs that a rough river once flowed on the red planet.

There is every reason to believe that this river was faster and deeper than any previously discovered. It may have been part of a large waterway that flowed into Ezero Crater, an area the rover explored several years ago. NASA reported the details.

The Perseverance Rover aims to investigate sedimentary rocks that are 250 meters high and resemble places where water once flowed. Scientists are looking to answer the question: did this probable water flow in shallow streams or was it part of a powerful river system? Recent photos of the rover increase the likelihood of the latter hypothesis.

"The photos seem to indicate an actively moving river carrying a lot of debris. The stronger the water flow, the more easily it can move large chunks of material," stressed Libby Ives, a doctoral student at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, USA.

The curved bands of layered rock were discovered by scientists years ago. They were visible from afar from space, but Perseverance was finally able to send detailed images.

There is a theory that this relief was created by a powerful river like the Mississippi, which flows, winding its landscape and forming sandy-washed islands. According to the researchers, these Martian "banks" have shifted and eroded over time, and were once much higher.

"The wind acted like a scalpel, cutting off the tops of these sediments. There are similar deposits on Earth, too, but they are not as open as those on Mars," said Michael Lemb of the California Institute of Technology, a river specialist and member of the Perseverance Science Group.

A second photo of the rover shows an isolated hill made up of sedimentary rocks. Scientists have advanced many theories about these hills, but many believe they are also signs of a fluvial landscape.

The Perseverance mission was sent to Mars in search of evidence to support signs of ancient microorganisms on the planet. In the future, scientists will collect Martian rocks and dust for research.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL told that SpaceX showed the first human colony on Mars.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest developments.