NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission is set to bring samples back to Earth within the next decade, aiming to deepen humanity’s understanding of the Red Planet. The Perseverance rover touched down in the Jezero Crater on February 18th, 2021. It is a key piece of this effort, tasked with collecting core samples of Martian rock and regolith. These samples are intended for possible future detailed scientific analysis here on Earth. To date, the results have provided incredible windows into Mars’s geological past.
The Perseverance rover utilizes the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) to study Martian rocks. It shows the chemical composition and textures of these worlds in greater detail than ever before. The PIXL instrument has made a huge impact on our understanding of the Máaz formation, a key geological region in Jezero Crater. It has yielded new revelations about ancient volcanic activity on and conditions favorable to microbial life on Mars.
The Perseverance Rover’s Mission
The Perseverance rover is the heart of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. As an example, NASA’s Curiosity rover doesn’t just scour Mars searching for microorganisms. The rover is exploring the Jezero Crater, a region believed to have harbored water in the past. Its mission is to find the best evidence that might indicate that life existed on Mars in the past.
In the months since its landing, Perseverance has been busy gathering core samples from several different rock formations. The data acquired will greatly increase our knowledge of our planet’s past. It will further assist scientists in identifying biosignatures—the marks, compounds, and other indicators—which could show whether ancient life once existed on these worlds.
According to Dr. Michael Tice, a geologist who participated in the mission, the rover has made a tremendous impact.
“Some of the most exciting work is still ahead of us. This study is just the beginning. We’re seeing things that we never expected, and I think in the next few years, we’ll be able to refine our understanding of Mars’s geological history in ways we never imagined.” – Dr. Michael Tice
Insights from the PIXL Instrument
Geared with the PIXL instrument, Martian exploration has entered an entirely new era. It’s allowing scientists to closely examine rocks in amazing detail, at the atomic level actually, using x-ray fluorescence. This state-of-the-art spectrometer allows researchers to achieve the kind of detailed chemical analyses that were previously out of reach.
During their study of the Máaz formation, the team observed two different branches of volcanic rock production. The second kind has a lighter color and is high in silica. The second type is a much lighter-toned rock called trachy-andesite. These findings reveal a more complex volcanic history than previously known for this area.
Dr. Tice commented on the surprises revealed by PIXL’s analyses.
“By analyzing these diverse volcanic rocks, we’ve gained valuable insights into the processes that shaped this region of Mars,” – Dr. Michael Tice
Those data points all point to a much longer period of volcanic activity which can mean that the conditions there before could have supported life. These kinds of insights are incredibly important in deciphering the geological history of Mars, but its potential habitability of life as we know it.
Implications for Understanding Mars’s Geological History
We compare the characteristics of rock formations we’ve seen within the Jezero Crater. This work greatly improves our understanding of Mars’s volcanic and hydrological history. Through this research the team has captured translational processes which are integral in guiding active, volatile, subterranean systems of volcanism here on Earth. These processes are fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation.
Dr. Tice reflected on the significance of these discoveries for future research.
“This enhances our understanding of the planet’s geological history and its potential to have supported life.” – Dr. Michael Tice
The lack of sustained volcanic activity leaves open the question of how the full suite of compounds life depends on would be made available. Specifically, the discovery indicates that this region of Mars could have sustained conditions capable of producing resources necessary to support biological processes.
Scientists around the world are currently working to analyze the data that Perseverance and the PIXL instrument have already returned. They expect to enhance understanding of the geological evolution of Mars and its potential to support life.