American scientists have proven that conditions suitable for life on Mars persisted even after liquid water disappeared from the planet's surface. The corresponding study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, briefly reported by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (USA).
Measurements taken by scientific instruments from the Curiosity rover showed high concentrations of silica in cracks at the bottom of Gale Crater on Mars. On the surface of the planet, sediments fell, as scientists believe, in ancient times from the bowels of the planet along with groundwater.
The presence of the latter means that liquid water on Mars existed in abundance much longer than previously thought. In particular, the authors believe that after the near-surface lakes dried up, life on Mars could have survived near groundwater sources and in the bowels of the planet.
The age of Gale crater (more than 150 kilometers in diameter) is estimated at 3.5 billion years, its bottom is filled with many eroded sedimentary rocks. In ancient times, the deepest parts of the crater were filled with water. In its center is Mount Sharp (Eolis) with a height of about 5.5 kilometers.
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity made its way to the Red Planet on November 26, 2011. Landing on Mars took place on August 6, 2012 in the area of Gale Crater. It is the third rover launched by NASA as part of the Mars Science Laboratory program.
