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Curiosity rover finds key ingredient for past life on Mars
In those drill sites, Curiosity detected deposits containing an iron carbonate material called siderite. According to Ben Tutolo, a University of Calgary associate professor of Earth, Energy, and Environment Studies as well as a NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover team, the data marks a major moment in the search for extraterrestrial life.
Curiosity rover finds large carbon deposits on Mars
NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars on Aug. 5, 2012, and has travelled more than 34 kilometres on the Martian surface. The discovery of carbonate suggests that the atmosphere contained enough carbon dioxide to support liquid water existing on the planet's surface. As the atmosphere thinned, the carbon dioxide transformed into rock form.
The find brings researchers closer to answering the question about whether Mars was ever capable of supporting life.
Some of the unusual rocks carry stories about water on Mars. One has hints of long-gone microbes. All tell of a dynamic, complex planet.
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