NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered a notable stash of carbon-rich carbonate minerals on Mars, hinting that the planet may have once harbored conditions favorable for life. These carbonate minerals, which form from the reaction of carbon dioxide, water, and rock, provide the clearest evidence of Mars being wet and warm. The findings indicate that Mars might have had a dynamic climate system similar to Earth's, but over time, a change in its carbon cycle led to a colder, less hospitable environment.
It tells us that the planet was habitable and that the models for habitability are correct, said Ben Tutolo, lead study author and associate professor at the University of Calgary.
The broader implications are the planet was habitable up until this time, but then, as the carbon dioxide that had been warming the planet started to precipitate as siderite, it likely impacted Mars' ability to stay warm.
Mars may have gone from cozy greenhouse to ice-cold rock thanks to its own carbon cycle.
Based on the new readings and data from orbit, scientists believe similar layers across Mars could've trapped up to 36 millibars' worth of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
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