Accident reveals 'mind-blowing' sulfur crystals on Mars

NASA’s Curiosity rover has made its most unusual find on Mars: rocks made of pure sulfur. According to a report on CNN, this discovery began when the rover accidentally drove over a rock, cracking it open and revealing yellowish-green crystals.

“I think it’s the strangest find of the whole mission and the most unexpected,” said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). “I have to say, there’s a lot of luck involved here. Not every rock has something interesting inside.”

The Curiosity team was investigating the Gediz Vallis channel, a winding groove on Mount Sharp believed to have been created 3 billion years ago by water and debris. The rover, which has been scaling Mount Sharp since 2014, was maneuvered into position to capture a mosaic of the surrounding landscape.

On May 30, the team noticed a crushed rock in the rover’s wheel tracks. A closer examination revealed the “mind-blowing” find of pure sulfur crystals, Vasavada said.

Curiosity has previously discovered sulfates on Mars, such as gypsum, but pure sulfur was not anticipated. Sulfur rocks typically have a translucent, crystalline texture, but weathering on Mars had obscured this, making the rocks blend with the planet’s orange hues.

The discovery of pure sulfur rocks is significant because, on Earth, pure sulfur is typically found in hydrothermal environments like Yellowstone. This raises questions about Mars’ geological history.

Curiosity’s ongoing mission aims to determine whether Mars ever hosted habitable environments. Since landing in 2012, the rover has ascended 2,600 feet up Mount Sharp, investigating its layers which reveal Mars’ wet and dry periods. The Gediz Vallis channel, with its mix of rounded river rocks and angular debris from landslides, reflects a history of violent water flows and landslides.

While the exact formation process of the sulfur rocks remains unclear, the team continues to analyze Curiosity’s data. Despite 12 years of operation and various mechanical challenges, Curiosity remains in good health, continuing its journey to uncover Mars’ geological secrets.

“We’re trying to make the most of it, and we have this landing site that’s been so wonderful,” Vasavada said. “I’m glad we chose something that was 12 years’ worth of science.”

[Information sourced from CNN]