NASA’s Perseverance rover has retrieved a new sample of Martian soil from an area that may have been a wetland in the Red Planet’s distant past, as it may have been part of an ancient beach.

The soil sample taken attracted the attention of scientists because it consists of approximately 75% carbonate grains cemented with almost pure silica. So this is exactly the breed they were hoping to find.

Almost all of the minerals in it were formed in water. Analysis of this rock will help scientists learn about the climate of Mars during its formation. It may also be one of the oldest soil samples Perseverance has obtained.

“We are still exploring the area and collecting data, but the findings may support our hypothesis that the rocks here formed on the shores of an ancient lake,” said Perseverance scientist Bryony Horgan of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. . “The research team is also looking at other ideas about the origin of the marginal unit, as there are other ways to form carbonate and silica. But no matter how this rock formed, it’s really exciting to get a sample.”

The rover moves towards the westernmost part of the Margin Unit. The area called “Bright Angel” at the base of the lake crater rim is of interest to the science team because it may offer the first encounter with much older rocks that form the crater rim. After completing the survey, Bright Angel Perseverance will begin a months-long climb to the top of the ring.