When exploring the Jezero crater sur Marsthe rover Perseverance of the NASA identified a surprising rock formation near the Serpentine Rapids in the region of Neretva Vallis. This rock shows dark green spots on a predominantly red surface, a phenomenon that immediately attracted the interest of scientists for its potential geological and, perhaps, biological implications. Equipped with sophisticated instruments, Perseverance is equipped with a percussive punch which allows the surface of rocks to be smoothed for close-up analyses.
In this specific case, the rover created a smooth surface of approximately 5 centimeters in diameterbut thedrilling process produced a certain amount of dust which partially covered the areas of interest.
Thanks to the use of Gaseous Dust Removal Tool (GDRT)an instrument that uses short jets of nitrogen gas To remove the residue, Perseverance managed to clean and reveal the fresh surface of the rock, making the green stains visible. These particular green spots resemble the formations of “red diapers” old observed on the Terre.
Such signs can form when liquid water seeps into sediments, before they solidify into rock, causing a chemical reaction that converts the oxidized iron in its reduced form (Fe2+)thus giving the rock a greenish tint.
On our planet, these reactions can sometimes involve microbes that participate in iron reduction, although green spots can form without any biological intervention, resulting from the decomposition of organic matter which creates a reductive environment or interaction between the sulfur and the fer. Although this discovery generated a lot of interest, Perseverance was unable to examine the green spots with its most advanced analytical instruments, due to the difficult position for the robotic arm to reach.
However, it is expected that Perseverance may encounter other similar formations during its journey along the rim of Jezero craterwhere it has been operating for more than two years, providing new opportunities to study these formations and better understand the geological history of Mars and its ancient interactions with water.
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