Washington DC, USA

An analysis of data gained from NASA's rover Perseverance has reconfirmed a theory that scientists have been insisting on for years: Mars was once a warm, wet planet that may have housed microbial life. The data confirmed the existence of ancient lake sediments on Mars, which were created by a large water body on the planet. The large basin of water most likely existed in Jerezo Crater, according to the detailed study published Friday (Jan 26) in the journal Science Advances.

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The research was led by teams from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Oslo.

What data was analysed?

The car-sized, six-wheeled rover trot down the Martian surface through several months of 2022 and conducted several subsurface scans on its way from the floor of the crater to an adjacent expanse of braided, sedimentary-like features resembling the river deltas found on Earth.

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According to UCLA planetary scientist David Paige, the first author of the paper, soundings from the rover's RIMFAX radar instrument allowed scientists to peer underground to get a cross-sectional view of rock layers 65 feet (20 meters) deep, "almost like looking at a road cut."

Watch: Scientists surprised by source of largest quake detected on Mars

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The layers inside the surface hinted at irrefutable evidence of soil sediments being carried there by its delta from a river that once fed it billions of years ago. Scientists estimated the sediments could have been formed some 3 billion years ago. 

But this is not the first time that data from the rover has been used to reach a similar conclusion. 

Previous such derivations from rover data

Earlier in October 2023, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) had found more evidence that points towards the existence of life on Mars. A team of researchers examining data collected by NASA's curiosity had deduced that the planet in ancient times had a huge network of rivers flowing with life-giving water. They have published their findings in Geophysical Research Letters.

"We're finding evidence that Mars was likely a planet of rivers," said the research's lead author, Benjamin Cardenas, a geoscientist at Penn State University.

Cardenas and his team reached this conclusion after analysing a combination of images from the Curiosity rover, scans of sedimentary rock beneath the Gulf of Mexico on Earth and several computer simulations.

You can read the detailed report here.

Major success for Mars exploration mission

The study serves as a reassuring confirmation that scientists chose the optimal location for their Mars exploration mission. Analysis conducted remotely on early core samples, extracted by Perseverance from four sites near its landing site in February 2021, yielded unexpected results. Instead of sedimentary rock, researchers discovered volcanic rock, adding a new dimension to their understanding of the Martian terrain.

Also read: NASA's historic Ingenuity helicopter mission on Mars ends: Here's what happened

The findings from the two studies complement each other rather than contradict. Even the volcanic rocks exhibited signs of alteration due to water exposure, leading scientists, who published their findings in August 2022, to speculate that sedimentary deposits may have eroded over time.

Moreover, recent radar readings from the RIMFAX instrument, reported on Friday, uncovered evidence of erosion both before and after the formation of sedimentary layers identified at the crater's western edge. According to Paige, these findings underscore the complex geological history of the area, shedding light on the dynamic processes shaping the Martian landscape.

(With inputs from agencies)