Mars moved between long dry periods and wetter times before drying completely in the near-dead world we see today about three billion years ago, according to the study.
The data collected by NASA’s Curiosity rover, which has been on Mars since 2012, was used by researchers at the Research Institute for Astrophysics and Planetology.
Curiosity is exploring the base of Aeolis Mons, a mountain several miles high in the center of Gale Crater, and researchers have used a telescope in the vehicle to make detailed observations of the steep terrain at a distance.
With the ChemCam instrument they discovered that the Martian climate alternated between dry and wet periods, before drying out completely about 3 billion years ago.
View of the mountains on the slopes of Mount Sharp, showing the various types of terrain that will soon explore the Curiosity rover and the ancient environments in which they formed, according to the sedimentary structures observed in ChemCam telescope images
As Mars dried up, it may be that the Earth was a world of water, according to previous studies, and that Venus could have the perfect environment for life to thrive.
While Venus suffered a runaway greenhouse effect that created the infernal world we see today, and Earth became a thriving continental planet, Mars remained dry.
The spacecraft orbiting Mars had already provided clues about the mineral composition of the 18,000-foot mountain slopes, also known as Mount Sharp.
But now, ChemCam has successfully made detailed observations of sedimentary beds from the planet’s surface.
The instrument consists of a laser, camera and spectrograph that work together to identify the chemical and mineral compositions of rocks at a distance.
The use of this “telescope” allowed the team of American and French scientists to reveal the conditions under which these sedimentary beds first formed.
Advancing through the terrain, which is a few hundred meters thick, bed types change radically, the team explained.
Spread above the clays deposited in the lake that form the base of Mount Sharp, the wide, tall, cross-bed structures are a sign of the migration of wind-formed dunes.
These dunes would have formed during a long episode of dry climate, which was believed to be common and interspersed with shorter wet periods.
Mars moved between long dry periods and wetter times before drying completely in the near-dead world we see today about three billion years ago, according to the study.
Further up the slope, researchers found fragile, sturdy alternating thin beds, which were typical of sites on the floodplain of rivers.
These mark the return of wetter conditions, probably the result of flooding inside Gale Crater, where curiosity is being explored.
Therefore, the climate of Mars suffered several large-scale fluctuations between dry conditions and fluvial and lacustrine environments, the team revealed.
This happened until the generally arid conditions observed today took over about three billion years ago, when the Earth was made up primarily of water.
These mark the return of wetter conditions, probably the result of flooding inside Gale Crater, where curiosity is being explored.
During her extensive mission to Mars, Curiosity plans to climb the foothills of Mount Sharp and pierce her various beds to better understand her makeup.
During these climbs and drilling episodes, Curiosity will test this pattern of changes between the wettest and driest periods on the red planet.
These periods are characterized in more detail as the ancient climate evolved and, through further perforations by Curiosity, they possibly understand the origin of these large fluctuations, the team said.
The findings have been published in the journal Geology.
NASA MARS CURIOSITY ROVER WAS LAUNCHED IN 2011 AND HAS IMPROVED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RED PLANET
The Mars Curiosity rover was initially launched from Cape Canaveral, an American Air Force station in Florida on November 26, 2011.
After embarking on a 560 million mile (350 million mile) journey, the £ 1.8 billion research vehicle (£ 2.5 billion) touched down just 2.4 kilometers from the assigned landing point. .
After a successful landing on August 6, 2012, the rover has traveled about 18 km.
It was launched into the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft and the rover accounted for 23% of the mass of the total mission.
With 80 kg (180 lb) of scientific instruments on board, the rover weighs a total of 899 kg (1,982 lb) and is powered by a source of plutonium fuel.
The rover is 2.9 meters long by 2.7 meters wide by 2.2 meters high.
The Mars Rover of Curiosity was initially intended to be a two-year mission to gather information to help answer whether the planet could support life, whether it has liquid water, study the climate and geology of Mars, and for more than 2,000 days has been active.
Initially, the rover was intended to be a two-year mission to gather information to help answer whether the planet can support life, whether it has liquid water, study the climate and geology of Mars.
Due to its success, the mission has been extended indefinitely and has been active for more than 2,000 days.
The rover has several scientific instruments on board, including the mastcam, which consists of two cameras and can make high-resolution images and videos in real color.
Until now, during the journey of the car-sized robot, it has encountered an ancient stream through which liquid water flowed, shortly after discovering that billions of years ago, a nearby area known as Yellowknife Bay was part of a lake that could have supported microbial life.