Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
NASA's Curiosity rover, which continues to explore the Martian soil, found evidence that could complete the puzzle of the climate history of the planet Mars.
Data from Curiosity's excavations identified a mineral called siderite, embedded in Mars' bedrock, which could only have formed in an atmosphere warm enough to support liquid water on the planet's surface. And, as it lost its atmosphere, the carbon dioxide transformed into rock, according to a scientific article from the University of Calgary cited by NASA.
"The discovery of abundant siderite in Gale Crater represents a surprising and important advance in our understanding of the geological and atmospheric evolution of Mars," said Benjamin Tutolo, associate professor at the University of Calgary and lead author of the paper.
Researchers have long predicted that carbon dioxide formed beneath the ancient Martian atmosphere, but Tutolo says previous identifications have been rare. He stated that scientists are ultimately trying to determine whether Mars was ever capable of supporting life. And the latest paper brings them closer to an answer.
NASA emphasized that future missions and analyses of other sulfate-rich areas on Mars could confirm the findings and help better understand the planet's early history and how it transformed as it lost its atmosphere. (Text and photo: RT)
