NASA’s Curiosity rover unveils unexpected sulfur discovery on Mars
NASA’s Curiosity Rover, renowned for its groundbreaking discoveries on Mars, has recently stunned scientists with its latest find. In May, the rover drove over some stones, inadvertently cracking one open to reveal a yellow sulfur crystal—a first for the red planet.
Unexpected discovery of sulfur crystal
“Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert,” said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. This remarkable discovery occurred in a region rich in sulfates, which Curiosity has been exploring since October 2023. Sulfates are salts that form when water evaporates. While sulfur has been found on Mars before, previous findings were of sulfur-based minerals. The rock Curiosity crushed contains elemental, or pure, sulfur.
Unusual formation conditions
The field of pure sulfur stones is vast, spreading across the area. What astonishes scientists is that the conditions required to form this sulfur have never been linked to this particular region. The formation of sulfur depends on a narrow range of conditions. “It shouldn’t be there, so now we have to explain it. Discovering strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting,” Vasavada added.
Notably, while sulfur typically emits the odor of rotten eggs due to hydrogen sulfide gas, the elemental sulfur found in the rock is odorless.
Curiosity’s current mission
Curiosity is currently exploring the Gediz Vallis channel, a groove on the 5-kilometer-tall Mount Sharp. This mountain holds the secrets of Mars, with each layer representing a different period in the planet’s history. Curiosity has been ascending Mount Sharp since 2014, aiming to uncover information about the nutrients that may have once supported microbial life on Mars.
The Gediz Vallis channel was identified from space long before Curiosity’s arrival on Mars. Scientists believe that flowing liquid water in this region created the channel, and the debris it carried left a ridge of boulders and sediment stretching for two miles down the mountainside. The mission aims to understand what went wrong on Mars and how its current landscape emerged.
Mysteries of the Gediz Vallis channel
The large mounds of debris on the channel’s floor are likely the result of ancient floodwaters or landslides. Curiosity has provided evidence suggesting both possibilities: violent water flows accompanied by debris may have created some formations, while local landslides may have caused others.
This latest discovery by Curiosity not only deepens our understanding of Mars but also highlights the unpredictable and thrilling nature of planetary exploration.