NASA's Perseverance rover finds evidence of mighty river on Mars in latest discovery

NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars has found what is believed to be clear evidence of a fast-flowing and deep river that once existed on red planet. This ancient river is visible in latest mosaic pictures beamed to Earth by rover. NASA says that this river was part of a network of waterways that flowed into Jezero Crater, site Perseverance has been exploring since its landing in February 2021. 

Perseverance uncovers 'high-energy river'

robot is currently exploring  top of a fan-shaped pile of sedimentary rock that stands 820 feet (250 meters) tall and its features suggest water once flowed around it.  hundreds of ims that were stitched toger into two mosaics along with  coarse sediment grains and circular-shaped rocks at site have me scientists believe that it could have been a powerful river system.

(Band of rocks spotted by Perseverance rover; Im: NASA)

"Those (sediments & rocks) indicate a high-energy river that’s trucking and carrying a lot of debris. more powerful flow of water, more easily it’s able to move larger pieces of material,” said Libby Ives, a researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It is team at JPL which controls rover. “It’s been a delight to look at rocks on ar planet and see processes that are so familiar,” Ives said. 

Thanks to Perseverance, JPL team is able to explore curving bands of layered rock within Jezero Crater which were only observed from Martian orbit until w. se bands are named “ curvilinear unit” and mosaics created showcase a feature nicknamed  “Skrinkle Haven.” NASA says that curved layers of rocks were created by a river, but scientists are debating wher river flowed snakelike across landscape or h many branches. 

Apart from   “Skrinkle Haven", re is a second location called "Pinestand" which is an isolated hill bearing sedimentary layers that curve skyward, some as high as 66 feet (20 meters). Experts believe se curves were also formed by flowing water. “se layers are amalously tall for rivers on Earth,” Ives said. “But at same time, most common way to create se kinds of landforms would be a river.” With se findings, Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance’s deputy project scientist at JPL said that scientists are w "thinking about rivers on a different scale than we have before.”