The NASA Mars rover Opportunity has uncovered an area full of rich water-formed clay minerals.
On Earth, clay materials similar to those that the Opportunity found in the Endeavor Crater on Mars form when water is present over long periods of time. According to Discovery.com, these clay materials could potentially point to a water chemistry similar to that of drinkable water which would be conducive to life.
Searches for water history on the red planet date back as far as Jan. 2004 when the Opportunity and an identical rover, Spirit, landed on opposite sides of Mars. Both found evidence of water history, but the chemistry was acidic and not conducive to life. According to RedOrbit.com,"Current theories of Martian geological history suggest that clays, a product of aqueous alteration, actually formed early on when the planet's waters were more alkaline. As the water acidified due to volcanism, the dominant alteration mineralogy became sulfates."
The Endeavor Crater is the latest stop in that search and Opportunity arrived after a 1,000-day, 13-mile journey. There are hopes that it could potentially uncover more resources if it lasts longer than the 90 days it is designated to operate for. The rover has already lasted for well over nine months and its two mineralogical instruments no longer work. .
Another rover, the Curiosity, is expected to transmit a more detailed analysis of the Martian clays as it is equipped with a more sophisticated onboard chemistry laboratory to analyze rock and soil samples.
According to Clarksville Online, the Curiosity is currently involved in another mission to drill into a shallow depression called "Yellowknife Bay." This procedure has never been attempted on Mars and will help researchers "choose a rock to drill." The drill will collect a sample from the interior of a rock which will then be portioned and analyzed by instruments inside the rover Curiosity.
Curiosity arrived on Mars on August 6th.
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