Perseverance finds evidence of three periods of water activity in Mars' Jezero Crater
NASA's Perseverance rover found igneous rocks in Jezero Crater that record at least three separate episodes of interaction with water.
NASA said Perseverance's study of the Margin Unit along Jezero Crater's ancient shoreline revealed igneous rocks altered by water on at least three occasions. Researchers had expected sedimentary rocks based on orbital observations.
The rover detected carbonate and silica associated with earlier groundwater and lake activity, as well as mineral veins indicating a later hot-water event. NASA said the findings add detail to the history of water and potential habitability on early Mars.