Patterns in mud fractures reveal that Mars might have had cyclical wetness patterns. Left: the surface in the Gale Crater where Curiosity is presently checking out. Right: mud fractures on Earth, where wet-dry biking has actually happened, producing Y-shaped patterns. Credit LANL
< period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>NASA</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Established in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Its vision is "To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity." Its core values are "safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion." NASA conducts research, develops technology and launches missions to explore and study Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond. It also works to advance the state of knowledge in a wide range of scientific fields, including Earth and space science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics, and it collaborates with private companies and international partners to achieve its goals.</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}] "> NASA‘s< period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Mars</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Mars is the second smallest planet in our solar system and the fourth planet from the sun. It is a dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. Iron oxide is prevalent in Mars' surface resulting in its reddish color and its nickname "The Red Planet." Mars' name comes from the Roman god of war.</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" >Mars Curiosity rover discovers proof of high-frequency wet-dry biking in theGaleCrater
New observations of mud fractures made by NASA’s(******************************************************************************************************************************************** )(********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** )rover reveal that high-frequency, wet-dry biking happened in early Martian surface area environments, suggesting that the red world might have when seen seasonal weather condition patterns or perhaps flash floods. The research study was released just recently in the clinical journalNature .
“These exciting observations of mature mud cracks are allowing us to fill in some of the missing history of water on Mars. How did Mars go from a warm, wet planet to the cold, dry place we know today? These mud cracks show us that transitional time, when liquid water was less abundant but still active on the Martian surface,” stated NinaLanza, primary private investigator of the ChemCam instrument onboard theCuriosity rover.
“These features also point to the existence of wet-dry environments that on Earth are extremely conducive to the development of organic molecules and potentially life. Taken as a whole, these results a giving us a clearer picture of Mars as a habitable world.”
ClimateFluctuations andEnvironment Transitions onMars
The existence of long-lasting damp environments, such as proof of ancient lakes onMars, is well-documented, however far less is understood about short-term environment changes.
After years of checking out surface mainly consisted of silicates, the rover got in a brand-new location filled with sulfates, marking a significant environment shift. In this brand-new environment, the research study group discovered a modification in mud fracture patterns, symbolizing a modification in the method the surface area would have dried. This suggests that water was still present on the surface area of Mars episodically, suggesting water might have existed for a time, vaporized, and duplicated till polygons, or mud fractures, formed.
“A major focus of the Curiosity mission, and one of the main reasons for selecting Gale Crater, is to understand the transition of a ‘warm and wet’ ancient Mars to a ‘cold and dry’ Mars we see today,” stated Patrick Gasda of the Laboratory’s Space Remote Sensing and Data Science group and coauthor of the paper. “The rover’s drive from clay lakebed sediments to drier non-lakebed and sulfate-rich sediments is part of this transition.”
Earth-Like Mud Crack Patterns and Implications for Life
On Earth, preliminary mud fractures in mud form a T-shaped pattern, however subsequent wetting and drying cycles trigger the fractures to form more of a Y-shaped pattern, which is what Curiosity observed. Additionally, the rover discovered proof that the mud fractures were just a few centimeters deep, which might indicate that wet-dry cycles were seasonal, or might have even happened faster, such as in a flash flood.
These findings might indicate that Mars when had an Earth- like damp environment, with seasonal or short-term flooding, which Mars might have had the ability to support life eventually.
“What’s essential about this phenomenon is that it’s the best location for the development of polymeric particles needed for life, consisting of proteins and < period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>RNA</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule similar to DNA that is essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. Both are nucleic acids, but unlike DNA, RNA is single-stranded. An RNA strand has a backbone made of alternating sugar (ribose) and phosphate groups. Attached to each sugar is one of four bases—adenine (A), uracil (U), cytosine (C), or guanine (G). Different types of RNA exist in the cell: messenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and transfer RNA (tRNA).</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" > RNA, if the best natural particles existed at this area,”Gasda stated“Wet periods bring molecules together while dry periods drive reactions to form polymers. When these processes occur repeatedly at the same location, the chance increases that more complex molecules formed there.”
For more on this discovery:
Reference:“Sustained wet–dry cycling on early Mars” by W. Rapin, G.Dromart, B. C.Clark, J. Schieber, E. S.Kite, L. C.Kah, L. M.Thompson, O.Gasnault, J.Lasue, P.-Y.Meslin, P. J.Gasda and N. L.Lanza, 9August2023, Nature
DOI:10 1038/ s41586-023-06220 -3
Funding: NASA’sMarsExplorationProgram and inFrance is carried out under the authority of CNES.Mastcam mosaics were processed by theMastcam group atMalinSpaceScienceSystemsEdwinKite financing by NASA grant(******************************************************************************************** )NSSC22 K0731LucyThompson financing as MSL employee is offered by the CSA.
