Close Menu
Truth Republican
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Guns & Gear
  • Healthy Tips
  • Prepping & Survival
  • Videos
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Truth Republican
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Guns & Gear
  • Healthy Tips
  • Prepping & Survival
  • Videos
Newsletter
Truth Republican
You are at:Home»News»NASA’s Curiosity rover discovers unusual ‘boxwork’ patterns on Mars linked to ancient waterways
News

NASA’s Curiosity rover discovers unusual ‘boxwork’ patterns on Mars linked to ancient waterways

Buddy DoyleBy Buddy DoyleJune 27, 2025No Comments4 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp
NASA’s Curiosity rover discovers unusual ‘boxwork’ patterns on Mars linked to ancient waterways
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

NASA’s Curiosity rover is getting a firsthand look at a region on Mars previously only seen from orbit that features a “boxwork” pattern, along with evidence of ancient waterways, including rivers, lakes and maybe an ocean.

New images and data from the Mars rover have already raised questions about how the red planet’s surface was changing billions of years ago. Scientists are still unable, though, to answer why the planet’s water eventually dried up and converted the surface into a chilly desert.

Curiosity rover is in an area called Gale Crater, and evidence has shown that when it was formed, water was percolating under the surface.

NASA said the rover had found evidence of groundwater in the crater when it encountered crisscrossing low ridges, some of which were only a few inches tall and were described by geologists as being arranged in a boxwork pattern.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS EXCAVATE ANCIENT WORKSHOP WITH UNFINISHED SCULPTURES ON GREEK ISLAND

Beneath the ridges is bedrock scientists believe formed when groundwater trickled through the rock and left behind minerals that accumulated in the cracks and fissures. The minerals then hardened and became cement-like.

The formations were worn away after what NASA called “eons of sandblasting” from Martian wind, though the minerals remained and revealed a network of resistant ridges within.

Rover has already analyzed ridges that scientists say look more like a crumbling curb.

HISTORY BUFF UNCOVERS LOST MEDIEVAL MONASTERY THANKS TO STRANGE MAP SYMBOL

Mars boxwork pattern shot from Curiosity Rover

But the patterns created over time stretch across miles of a layer on the 3-mile-tall Mount Sharp. The rover has been climbing the foothills of Mount Sharp since 2014, NASA said.

What scientists also find interesting about the boxwork patterns is they have not been found anywhere else on the mountain by orbiters overhead or Curiosity.

“A big mystery is why the ridges were hardened into these big patterns and why only here,” said Curiosity project scientist Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “As we drive on, we’ll be studying the ridges and mineral cements to make sure our idea of how they formed is on target.”

NASA said the patterns are found in a part of Mount Sharp formed during various eras of the ancient Martian climate. So, as the rover ascends from the oldest layers to the youngest, it is essentially time traveling and searching for signs that water existed on Mars and which environments would have supported microbial life in the planet’s ancient times.

ANCIENT BEDROCK KITCHENS REVEAL EVIDENCE OF HISTORICAL FOOD PRACTICES, EXPERTS SAY

NASA's Curiosity Rover exploring Mount Sharp on Mars

“The rover is currently exploring a layer with an abundance of salty minerals called magnesium sulfates, which form as water dries up,” NASA said. “Their presence here suggests this layer emerged as the climate became drier. “Remarkably, the boxwork patterns show that even in the midst of this drying, water was still present underground, creating changes seen today.”

Recent clues exposed on Mars may provide additional insight for scientists into why the boxwork patterns formed where they did.

The bedrock between the ridges has a lot of tiny fractures filled with white veins of calcium sulfate, which is a salty mineral left behind when groundwater trickles through cracks in rocks, NASA said. In the lower layers of the mountain, similar veins were plentiful, and one was even enriched with clays. But, until now, none of the veins had been spotted in the sulfate.

“That’s really surprising,” said Curiosity Deputy Project Scientist Abigail Fraeman of JPL. “These calcium sulfate veins used to be everywhere, but they more or less disappeared as we climbed higher up Mount Sharp. The team is excited to figure out why they’ve returned now.”

The Curiosity rover was launched Nov. 26, 2011, and landed on Mars Aug. 5, 2012. Its mission was to find out whether Mars ever had the right environmental conditions to support life, and, early on, the rover discovered chemical and mineral evidence of habitable environments from the past.

Read the full article here

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleTop 5 Next Level Survival Gear & Survival Kits on Amazon
Next Article ‘No dignity’ in socialism: NYC Mayor Adams announces re-election bid after Mamdani wins Dem primary

Related Articles

Potential Mass Shooting Thwarted At Florida Airport By Deputies

Potential Mass Shooting Thwarted At Florida Airport By Deputies

August 7, 2025
Seattle Kraken mascot charged at by brown bear during video shoot in Alaska

Seattle Kraken mascot charged at by brown bear during video shoot in Alaska

August 7, 2025
Who is Anita Dunn? The Biden confidante who clashed with Hunter grilled in House autopen probe

Who is Anita Dunn? The Biden confidante who clashed with Hunter grilled in House autopen probe

August 7, 2025
FBI agrees to help locate Texas Democrats who fled state to sabotage GOP redistricting plan, Cornyn says

FBI agrees to help locate Texas Democrats who fled state to sabotage GOP redistricting plan, Cornyn says

August 7, 2025
19-year-old accused of impersonating officer, making fake traffic stops

19-year-old accused of impersonating officer, making fake traffic stops

August 7, 2025
Army secretary hails ‘hero’ soldiers who tackled alleged Fort Stewart shooter: ‘Absolutely saved lives’

Army secretary hails ‘hero’ soldiers who tackled alleged Fort Stewart shooter: ‘Absolutely saved lives’

August 7, 2025
Dem governor defies FBI: ‘Unwelcome’ to pursue Texas Democratic lawmakers

Dem governor defies FBI: ‘Unwelcome’ to pursue Texas Democratic lawmakers

August 7, 2025
Trump orders work on new census, says people in US illegally ‘WILL NOT BE COUNTED’

Trump orders work on new census, says people in US illegally ‘WILL NOT BE COUNTED’

August 7, 2025
Netanyahu’s security cabinet to meet on Gaza war, as some in Israel call to resettle enclave

Netanyahu’s security cabinet to meet on Gaza war, as some in Israel call to resettle enclave

August 7, 2025
Don't Miss
Potential Mass Shooting Thwarted At Florida Airport By Deputies

Potential Mass Shooting Thwarted At Florida Airport By Deputies

Paramount, Skydance complete  billion merger as FCC continues CBS probe

Paramount, Skydance complete $8 billion merger as FCC continues CBS probe

Fox News Politics Newsletter: 3 Senior FBI Officials Shown the Door in Agency Shake-Up

Fox News Politics Newsletter: 3 Senior FBI Officials Shown the Door in Agency Shake-Up

Seattle Kraken mascot charged at by brown bear during video shoot in Alaska

Seattle Kraken mascot charged at by brown bear during video shoot in Alaska

Latest News
OpenAI GPT‑5 is here: Company unveils ‘PhD-level experts in your pocket’

OpenAI GPT‑5 is here: Company unveils ‘PhD-level experts in your pocket’

August 7, 2025
Russian drones test NATO’s Article 5 defense guarantee ahead of Friday sanctions deadline

Russian drones test NATO’s Article 5 defense guarantee ahead of Friday sanctions deadline

August 7, 2025
Who is Anita Dunn? The Biden confidante who clashed with Hunter grilled in House autopen probe

Who is Anita Dunn? The Biden confidante who clashed with Hunter grilled in House autopen probe

August 7, 2025
Fed official calls July jobs report ‘concerning’ as economy hits potential turning point

Fed official calls July jobs report ‘concerning’ as economy hits potential turning point

August 7, 2025
DHS scoops up criminal illegal immigrant suspected of killing man on lawnmower: ‘Senseless tragedy’

DHS scoops up criminal illegal immigrant suspected of killing man on lawnmower: ‘Senseless tragedy’

August 7, 2025
Copyright © 2025. Truth Republican. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Contact

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.