NASA’s Perseverance rover has reached a scientifically thrilling region on Mars called Krokodillen, where some of the planet’s oldest rocks may hold vital clues about early Martian environments — possibly even ancient life.
Exploring Krokodillen: A New Martian Frontier NASA’s Perseverance rover has started exploring a brand new area on Mars called “Krokodillen,” and scientists are excited.
“The Krokodillen rocks formed before Jezero Crater was created, during Mars’ earliest geologic period, the Noachian, and are among the oldest rocks on Mars.
NASA program scientist Lindsay Hays explains what defines potential signs of ancient life on other worlds and why they require future study.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is searching for these signs, collecting samples for future return to Earth, and helping pave the way for human exploration.
NASA’s Perseverance rover has arrived in Krokodillen, a scientifically fascinating area of Mars where some of the planet’s oldest rocks may contain important hints about early Martian environments, possibly even ancient life.
The site, which is rich in clay, olivine, and carbonate minerals, offers valuable information about Mars’s wet past, particularly during the Noachian period.
A New Martian Frontier: Investigating Krokodillen.
The Perseverance rover from NASA has begun exploring “Krokodillen,” a new region on Mars, and scientists are thrilled about it. Some of the oldest rocks discovered on the Red Planet may be found in this rocky area. It is ideally situated to reveal mysteries about the distant past of Mars because it marks a crucial border between the plains outside and the rocky rim of Jezero Crater.
Geologic whirlwinds have dominated the past five months, according to Ken Farley, Caltech in Pasadena’s deputy project scientist for Perseverance. Just as successful as our investigation of “Witch Hazel Hill,” we anticipate that our analysis of Krokodillen will be equally fascinating. “.”.
Named after a mountain ridge in Norway, Krokodillen translates to “the crocodile” in Norwegian. It is located immediately downslope from Witch Hazel Hill and covers 73 acres of rocky terrain. But what’s concealed among the rocks is what really makes this location unique.
Ancient Clays by Krokodillen: Signs of Life and Water.
According to preliminary results, the bedrock of Krokodillen contains clay minerals. This could have been a wet place billions of years ago, which is significant because clays only form when there is liquid water present. This was probably before an asteroid impact created Jezero Crater. On Earth, clay is also very good at preserving organic compounds, which are the chemical components of life.
Farley said, “If we find a potential biosignature here, it would most likely be from an entirely different and much earlier epoch of Mars evolution than the one we found last year in the crater with ‘Cheyava Falls,’” because the rock was sampled in July 2024 and had chemical signatures and structures that might have been formed by life a long time ago. Among the oldest rocks on Mars, the Krokodillen formed during the Noachian, the planet’s earliest geologic period, before Jezero Crater was formed.
What constitutes possible evidence of ancient life on other worlds and why further research is necessary are explained by NASA program scientist Lindsay Hays. By looking for these indicators and gathering samples for a future return to Earth, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is assisting in the preparation of the way for human exploration. NASA and JPL-Caltech are credited.
Olivine and Carbonates: The Chemistry of Martian Rocks.
The outer edges of Krokodillen may also contain regions rich in carbonate and olivine, according to data gathered from NASA’s Mars orbiters. On Earth, carbonate minerals usually form when rock and dissolved carbon dioxide react in liquid water, but olivine is formed from magma. It is well known that carbonate minerals on Earth are superb recorders of past climates and preservers of fossilized ancient microbial life.
The rover is now examining “Copper Cove,” a rocky outcrop in Krokodillen that may contain Noachian rocks. On May 9, the rover celebrated its 1,500th day of surface operations.
The nuclear-powered rover has a new sampling strategy when it arrives at Krokodillen, which permits some cored samples to remain unsealed in case the mission later discovers a geologic feature that is more compelling from a scientific standpoint.
Bell Island and the Unsealed Tube Case.
As of right now, Perseverance has gathered and sealed three witness tubes, one atmospheric sample, and two regolith (crushed rock and dust) samples. Additionally, it has sealed 25 of the 26 rock cores that it has gathered. The most recent rock core, which the team named “Bell Island” and which was taken on April 28, contains tiny round stones known as spherules. This is the rover’s only unsealed sample. The rover could be instructed to take the tube out of its storage bin and discard the old sample if the scientific team determines later that a new one should be used in its place.
Katie Stack Morgan, an acting project scientist for Perseverance at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, stated, “We have been exploring Mars for more than four years, and every single filled sample tube we have on board has its own unique and compelling story to tell.”. We’re going to leave some tubes, including the one holding the Bell Island core, unsealed for the time being because there are still seven empty sample tubes and a large stretch of open road ahead of us. As we proceed with gathering more interesting and varied rock samples, this approach gives us the most flexibility possible. “”.
Enough Cleanliness: Preserving Sample Quality.
The engineering sample team evaluated whether leaving a tube unsealed could lower sample quality prior to the mission implementing its new approach. The response was no.
“When the rover was constructed, its interior environment complied with extremely stringent cleanliness requirements. Additionally, the tube is positioned inside its own storage bin so that there is very little chance of unneeded material getting inside during upcoming drives and sampling operations, according to Stack Morgan.
The group also evaluated the possibility that leftovers from a discarded sample might “contaminate” a subsequent sample. Stack Morgan stated that while there is a possibility that any material left in the tube from the previous sample might come into contact with the outside of a new sample, this is a very small worry and a valuable trade-off for the chance to gather the best and most interesting samples when we locate them. “”.
In order to investigate the Red Planet’s surface and look for evidence of prehistoric life, NASA built Perseverance, its most sophisticated Mars rover. It was launched on July 30, 2020, and on February 18, 2021, it made a successful landing in Jezero Crater.
Perseverance is exploring the geology, climate, and past habitability of Mars using state-of-the-art scientific equipment. Gathering and storing samples of rock and soil that might eventually be brought back to Earth by a subsequent mission is one of the main objectives. Additionally, Ingenuity, a tiny experimental helicopter that accomplished the first powered flight on a different planet, is carried by the rover.
By examining crater rims, ancient river deltas, and areas rich in clay and carbonate minerals—essential components for life—perseverance is assisting scientists in reconstructing Mars’ environmental past. The mission is a component of NASA’s larger initiative to open up Mars to human exploration.
