Perseverance rover finds traces of ancient river on Mars

In recent years, we have received a lot of evidence that Mars once had liquid water. But most of this evidence points to oceans, lakes, or small streams, traces of which were found in Gale Crater by the Curiosity rover. But the Perseverance rover, which is now studying Jezero crater, I stumbled on a long-dead riverbed that was not so calm.

On the days of this river, furrows and cobblestones were discovered that a weak stream could not move.

The mission researchers named this place Skrinkle Haven, after the British beach of the same name. At this section of Lake, it was possible to find curved bands of layered rock, which were almost certainly formed by a powerful flow of water.

The shape of this ancient river is still a matter of debate. It is either a winding river whose banks have shifted over time, or a river with intertwining channels and protruding sandbars.

In any case, the rocky shores were likely originally much higher, but were worn away by the Martian wind over time. “It acted like a scalpel, cutting off the tops of the deposits,” scientists say.

Another potential evidence of a fast-flowing ancient river at Skrinkle Haven can be found on Pinestand Hill 450 meters away. It consists of sedimentary rocks up to 20 meters high. This is anomalously high by Earth standards, but these landforms are usually created by rivers.

This is the first time scientists have seen such an environment on Mars. The researchers note that they now perceive Martian rivers on a different scale.