The Perseverance rover by NASA has gathered crucial clues about the planet’s history by analyzing peculiar rocks on the surface of Mars using a laser.

It has been reported that NASA’s Perseverance rover obtained significant clues about the history of Mars by using a laser to analyze the strange rocks on the planet’s surface. The light-colored rocks discovered in Mars’ Jezero Crater contain minerals that could have formed under very hot and humid conditions, suggesting that the planet might be a lot different than previously thought. Roger Wiens, a planetary scientist from Purdue University in the U.S., mentioned that this type of minerals typically forms in warm climates with heavy rainfall or in hydrothermal systems like hot springs.

Wiens stated that these minerals are created by rocks being exposed to flowing water for an extended period, saying, “Hot water gradually dissolves all the elements from the rocks, leaving only the most resistant ones behind. Making such a discovery on a cold and dry planet like Mars is truly surprising.” NASA’s Perseverance rover examined the light-colored rocks found in the Jezero Crater that looked out of place in their surroundings.

These rocks are referred to as ‘surface rocks’ as they have been moved to their current location at a later time. Researchers tasked Perseverance with studying these rocks using a technology called ‘Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy’. This method analyzes the rocks by firing a laser at them.

The laser vaporizes a small part of the mineral, exciting its atoms and ions. Subsequently, a spectroscope device examines the emitted light to determine the composition of the mineral. The results astonished scientists. Wiens mentioned that the discovery was unexpected, stating, “These rocks look unlike anything we have seen on Mars before.” The analysis revealed that the rocks mainly consisted of a soft, white silicate clay mineral called ‘kaolinite’, which was harder on Mars than on Earth.

This difference is believed to arise from unique weathering conditions on Mars. Additionally, researchers found traces of another mineral named ‘spinel’ in the rocks. Spinel is known as a valuable stone containing magnesium and aluminum on Earth.

However, how kaolinite rocks formed on Mars remains unknown. Scientists speculate that this mineral could be a type rich in aluminum that can form through both volcanic and metamorphic processes.