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The earliest phase involved high-temperature, acidic waters that produced minerals such as greenalite, hisingerite, and ferroaluminoceladonite on the crater floor — conditions that would have posed extreme challenges to life. (Image: NASA)
Scientists analysing high-resolution geochemical data from the rover identified around 24 different mineral types, revealing that the planet’s surface chemistry evolved over time, much like Earth’s ancient oceans. The findings suggest that Mars transitioned from harsh, acidic conditions to more neutral and eventually alkaline environments — marking multiple wet eras increasingly favourable for life.
Published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, the study was led by Rice University graduate student Eleanor Moreland. Her team used the Mineral Identification by Stoichiometry (MIST) algorithm to interpret data collected by Perseverance’s Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL). The instrument, which employs X-rays to determine the chemical makeup of Martian rocks, produced some of the most detailed off-Earth geochemical analyses ever achieved.
Water on Mars
“The minerals identified in Jezero Crater indicate multiple distinct episodes of fluid alteration,” Moreland said, noting that each phase represented an environment where volcanic rocks interacted with liquid water. The 24 mineral species uncovered point to unique combinations of temperature, pH, and chemical composition, offering key clues about ancient Martian conditions. The formation of salts and clays, for instance, reflects different types of water-related activity — each with its own implications for potential habitability.
Acidic beginnings
The research categorises Jezero’s geological history into three main stages. The earliest phase involved high-temperature, acidic waters that produced minerals such as greenalite, hisingerite, and ferroaluminoceladonite on the crater floor — conditions that would have posed extreme challenges to life. Co-author Kirsten Siebach observed that while these conditions seem harsh, the resilience of microbes in extreme Earth environments like Yellowstone suggests life could have adapted even then.
The second stage brought milder, neutral conditions more conducive to life, marked by minerals such as minnesotaite and clinoptilolite, the latter found exclusively on the crater floor. The final phase saw the emergence of cooler, alkaline fluids that formed sepiolite — creating conditions especially favourable for habitability across all examined regions and signalling a significant presence of liquid water.
Shifting conditions
According to Moreland, the mineral transitions in Jezero Crater trace a clear progression from acidic to neutral and alkaline environments, showing how the planet’s chemistry evolved towards more life-friendly conditions. To account for analytical uncertainty, the team used a propagation model similar to those employed in hurricane forecasting, refining mineral identification accuracy. This approach not only supports the scientific aims of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission but also builds a mineralogical reference for future sample analyses.
Jezero’s dynamic past
The findings confirm that Jezero — once an ancient lake — underwent complex, water-driven transformations over its history. These newly identified minerals will help scientists evaluate the potential for past life on Mars and guide Perseverance’s ongoing sample collection for future return missions.
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While this study focuses on minerals detected during the first three years of the rover’s mission, it does not directly address the latest sampling site associated with a potential biosignature. However, it provides essential context — showing that the favourable conditions recently observed at Sapphire Canyon likely existed more broadly across Jezero Crater.
The research was supported by NASA’s Mars 2020 Participating Scientist grants, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Mars Exploration Program.
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