Large lakes prevalent in ancient Mars’ history

Curiosity rover reveals the role played by large lakes in forming Martian mountain. In 2012, NASA landed a robotic vehicle called Curiosity on Mars, in a crater 96 miles in diameter, dubbed Gale Crater. The vehicle has since been driving around and gathering data that is helping researchers to learn more about Mars' past habitability. The NASA researchers, including Professor Sanjeev Gupta from Imperial College London, are currently using Curiosity to investigate a particular set of sedimentary rocks called the Murray formation at the base of Mount Sharp, which stands about 3 miles high in the centre of Gale Crater. These sedimentary rocks show alternating sand and silt deposits delivered by lakes, rivers and wind. The sedimentation pattern suggests that the lakes came and went repeatedly, building the base of Mount Sharp in the process. The team's working interpretation of their analysis is that ancient Mars sustained a climate that could have produced lakes in many locations that were much larger and longer-lasting than any previously confirmed.