Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Oslo have uncovered new evidence of ancient lake sediments at the base of Mars' Jezero Crater, offering renewed optimism for the discovery of traces of life in samples collected by NASA's Perseverance rover.

On February 18, 2021, the Perseverance rover successfully touched down inside the expansive 28-mile-wide Jezero Crater, which is believed to have once served as a home to a sizeable lake and river delta. Since landing, the rover has diligently scoured the crater in search of indications of past life, collecting and storing dozens of samples along its journey for a potential future return to Earth.

Utilizing the advanced Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Experiment (RIMFAX) instrument on board the rover, the research team have unveiled fresh insights into the formation of sediment layers on the crater floor. David Paige, a UCLA professor and RIMFAX's deputy principal investigator, explains that while orbital observations offer a glimpse of various deposits, it remains difficult to ascertain their original state. To unravel their formation, it becomes imperative to delve beneath the surface.

As the Perseverance rover traverses the Martian terrain, the RIMFAX instrument emits radar waves at 4-inch intervals, that penetrate up to depths of approximately 65.6 feet below the surface. By analyzing the reflected pulses, a subsurface profile of the crater floor can be created.

The detailed RIMFAX data has revealed compelling evidence of sediment deposits left by the water once present in the crater, suggesting an environment that was potentially habitable for microbial life. If microbial life did indeed exist on Mars, the sediment samples collected from this area hold the potential to contain traces of their remains.

The team determined that two distinct periods of deposition occurred, resulting in the formation of regular and horizontal layers of sediments on the crater floor. These sediment deposits were influenced by fluctuations in the water levels of the ancient lake. Additionally, one notable feature is a massive delta, formed by some of the sediment deposits, which Perseverance successfully traversed between May and December 2022.

The discovery of such well-organized sediment layers akin to terrestrial strata imparts new hope for the presence of ancient life on Mars. As Perseverance continues its exploration, scientists eagerly await the analysis of the cached samples, which may contain vital clues about Mars' past and potential habitability.

In the quest to unravel the mysteries of Mars, these findings open doors to uncovering the secrets of a distant era when Mars' Jezero Crater was resplendent with water, creating a promising realm for extraterrestrial life to thrive.