A team led by Dimitra Atri from NYUAD's Space Exploration Laboratory examined data collected by NASA's Curiosity rover in Gale Crater, focusing on sedimentary structures formed billions of years ago. By comparing these Martian rocks with similarly lithified sand dunes found in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates, the scientists reconstructed how water once moved through the Martian crust.
Their research revealed that groundwater from neighboring highlands gradually migrated upward through the dunes, filling tiny cracks and pore spaces. This process left behind minerals such as gypsum, which are known on Earth to preserve organic material for millions of years. The presence of these minerals on Mars provides a strong scientific basis for targeting subsurface deposits in future missions searching for traces of ancient life.
The study also highlights the dynamic climate history of Mars. Rather than a sudden disappearance of water, the planet's habitability dwindled over time as surface lakes and rivers dried, but modest water movement underground continued and created microenvironments that were protected from harsh surface conditions. These subsurface regions, insulated from radiation and extreme temperature swings, could have offered stable habitats for microbes even after the main Martian water reservoirs vanished.
"Our findings show that Mars didn't simply go from wet to dry," said Atri. "Even after its lakes and rivers disappeared, small amounts of water continued to move underground, creating protected environments that could have supported microscopic life."
This interdisciplinary effort involved geological fieldwork in the UAE by Vignesh Krishnamoorthy, laboratory analysis by James Weston, and collaboration with Pance Naumov's group, using advanced mineralogical and imaging methods to strengthen the parallels between Martian and terrestrial formations.
Research Report:Aeolian Sediment Lithification From Late-Stage Aqueous Activity in the Gale Crater: Implications for Habitability on Mars
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