For almost a decade, the NASA Mars rover Curiosity has been exploring the slopes of Mount Sharp, a towering mountain on Mars located above an ancient crater. With each layer it traverses, Curiosity unveils new secrets of the Red Planet. In its latest discovery, Curiosity stumbled upon a field of stones made of pure sulfur, a chemical element that could hold important clues about Mars’ past.
Recently, the rover accidentally encountered a stone that broke open, revealing bright yellow crystals inside. According to a report by NASA, scientists have confirmed that this is elemental sulfur. While sulfur-containing minerals have been found on Mars before, this marks the first discovery of pure sulfur on the planet. The scientists are still trying to determine how these stones could have formed.
Elemental sulfur is odorless and tasteless, usually found in volcanic regions as a result of hydrogen sulfide oxidation. However, the area being explored by Curiosity shows no signs of past volcanic activity. Pure sulfur can also be produced through the oxidation of sulfur compounds by microbial activity. This finding of sulfur on Mars could be significant in the search for ancient microbial life.
Curiosity is currently investigating the Gediz Valley, a meandering channel believed to have been carved by an ancient river, leaving behind a 3-kilometer trail of boulders and sediment. By studying this area, the rover is collecting data that may point to locations in Mars’ ancient landscape where the necessary nutrients for potential microbial life could have existed.
Despite being unable to sample the sulfuric stones due to their small and delicate nature, Curiosity did find a large rock nearby named “Mammot Leix”. Using a drill at the end of its 2-meter robotic arm, the rover drilled into the rock and collected samples for onboard analysis.
Such unexpected discoveries add excitement to planetary studies and help scientists gain a deeper understanding of Mars’ history and its potential for past habitability.