Curiosity finds old riverbed on Mars

According to a news release from NASA, Curiosity discovered an ancient riverbed on the surface of Mars. The spacecraft found rocky outcrops between the north bank of Gale Crater and the base of Mount Sharp, with small rocks that appear to have been carved and carried by the strong action of a river's waters.

NASA scientists are evaluating images sent by Curiosity, stating that rock sizes and shapes provide evidence that allows us to calculate the depth and velocity of the waters flowing through the bed. According to initial estimates, the researchers believe that the river ran at about 0.9 meters per second and had a depth that could, in a person, vary from ankle height to hip.

Vigorous water action

Several signs of the presence of water on the Red Planet had already been discovered by the researchers, but this is the first time direct evidence has been found, as scientists are convinced that the rocks were transported and shaped by the action of water on the surface of the planet. Mars.

According to NASA, the spacecraft found no evidence of life on the Red Planet, and neither is the focus of the mission. Curiosity is on Mars to study the planet's habitability potential and, according to the researchers, the results obtained in just over a month couldn't be more promising. Scientists rate the newly discovered bed as the first potentially habitable environment.

Source: NASA