An international research group, through analysis of results from NASA's Mars rover Perseverance, has found traces of a 4.2-billion-year-old river system in the Jezero crater, according to multiple reports. Since February 2021, Perseverance has been exploring the red planet in search of signs of ancient life, Aftonbladet reports. The rover is equipped with a georadar that sends electromagnetic waves into the ground to help scientists understand the geological structure beneath the surface, the outlet notes.
Remarkable in the study was Perseverance's record-deep measurement; the radar penetrated 35 meters into the ground, 1.75 times deeper than previously achieved in the area, Aftonbladet states. This enabled the discovery of the ancient river and lake system, though researchers do not determine what the river looked like—it could have been water meandering through the landscape or a braided system. There was likely a lake inside the crater that the river flowed into, according to multiple reports.
Through that we can see down into the ground, we can understand historical events in a completely new way. It gives unique opportunities for new discoveries that otherwise remain hidden. The presence of water is fundamental in the search for traces of earlier life.
Mars has a wet history, with old volcanic bedrock transformed, likely when it ended up under water, as shown in a study where a crater was investigated, Aftonbladet reports. Fredrik Andersson, a docent at ETH in Zurich and one of the researchers in the project, believes discoveries like this are crucial for mapping the planet's history and climate. According to Andersson, the presence of water is fundamental in the search for traces of earlier life, though the discovery does not prove that there was life on Mars, but is an important step on the way.
The advancement also helps researchers interpret data from other measurement areas on the planet, Aftonbladet notes. The results can also influence future space missions, providing strong arguments for using similar instruments on future expeditions, such as to the moon, according to reports. This breakthrough in the search for life underscores the significance of Perseverance's mission and its advanced georadar capabilities in uncovering Mars' ancient past.
These results also provide strong arguments for using similar instruments on future expeditions, for example to the moon.