# Jezero Crater: Evidence of an Ancient Martian Lake Confirmed
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Chapter 1: Mars' Watery Past
It feels like just yesterday that I dedicated hours to covering the Perseverance rover's landing on Mars with my colleagues at the SETI Institute. In reality, Percy touched down in February, over seven months ago. Since then, we've shared numerous stories about Percy, making it seem as if the rover has been exploring Mars for ages. Isn't it interesting how our perception of time can shift?
Amid the chaos of our daily lives, scientific discoveries have persisted. Recently, a significant analysis of images captured by Percy was published in the journal Science. This research provides strong evidence that Jezero Crater, where Percy landed, is indeed the site of an ancient lake, just as we had hoped.
In case you’ve missed it, Mars once boasted significant amounts of water, and Jezero Crater was once a lake. While prior images from orbiting spacecraft hinted at this, the new photographs taken from within the crater now confirm it. Well, as much as one can confirm such things without a time machine, the evidence is compelling.
First, consider the Kodiak outcrop. The images reveal distinct sediment layers, allowing researchers to measure their thickness, slope, and length. From this data, they deduced that these layers were formed by flowing water. Additionally, a fan-shaped formation similar to those created by river deposits on Earth has been identified.
Second, images from the landing site display numerous large boulders scattered throughout the area, some even embedded within the sediment layers. This indicates that the boulders originated from elsewhere. According to a press release regarding these findings, the boulders appear to have been transported downstream into the lakebed by a flash flood that could have reached speeds of up to 9 meters per second, moving as much as 3,000 cubic meters of water per second.
These boulders may symbolize the shift from a wet to a dry planet, with such flash floods playing a significant role in the puzzle of climate change on Mars. As Percy continues its journey, sampling rocks and gathering data, we anticipate learning even more, though it may take years before any rocks return to Earth.
More Information:
- ASU press release
- MIT press release
- University of Florida press release
- “Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars,” N. Mangold et al., 2021 October 7, Science.
This content was prepared for the Daily Space podcast/YouTube series. For more updates from Dr. Pamela Gay and Erik Madaus, visit DailySpace.org.
The video titled "Perseverance Rover Zooms in on Ancient Mars River" explores the detailed findings of the Perseverance rover, illustrating the evidence of past water flow in Jezero Crater.
Section 1.1: Exploring the Kodiak Outcrop
The Kodiak outcrop presents a crucial piece of evidence, showcasing sedimentary layers that tell the story of Mars' watery history. Researchers have meticulously analyzed these layers, inferring their origins from the features observed.
Section 1.2: The Significance of the Boulders
The presence of large boulders in the crater raises important questions about Mars' geological past. Their origins and the processes that transported them are key to understanding the planet's transition from wet to dry.
Chapter 2: Future Discoveries Await
As the Perseverance rover continues to investigate Jezero Crater, we eagerly await further discoveries that will deepen our understanding of Mars and its ancient environments.