Mars could have more in common with Earth than we initially believed; recently discovered rocks are evidence that prove this hypothesis. Oxygen-rich rocks on Mars suggest this possibility.

However, due to various issues they cannot remain there permanently and thus needing help in getting around them. So they decide on an interim measure which involves creating their own temporary habitat – like having their very own artificial beach! But also an artificial habitat on which their family and friends could gather. So here we go again, another attempt by them at being different than everyone else… NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered rocks at an ancient shoreline on Mars which may indicate it once bore more similarities with Earth than previously anticipated, according to scientists.These manganese oxide-rich rocks point toward evidence suggesting once-habitable Mar had oxygen levels similar to Earth and life-friendly conditions early in its history, adding weight to growing indications it once supported life-sustaining oxygen levels and conditions akin to Earth.NASA calls manganese on Earth an unsung hero in its development of life. Scientists know from studying our planet’s geological history that manganese was abundant before early life forms emerged approximately 4 billion years ago, serving as an oxygen provider and creating the pathway towards its use by most living things today. Manganese oxide production involves two methods – abundant oxygen or microbiological life – as the sole known methods. Scientists remain baffled as to the exact source of manganese oxide’s presence on Mars; evidence for its formation on Earth due to microbes or oxygen creation by life is lacking, leaving scientists bemused. Lead author Patrick Gasda from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico told Live Science forming manganese oxide-rich rocks is “easy due to microbes producing it, as oxygen forms as part of life processes, so this points back toward life,” says lead study author Patrick Gasda of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Patrick Gasda told Live Science about his research findings of finding manganese-rich rocks on Mars: they likely formed via different means than Earth due to lack of presence of microorganisms creating oxygen — both factors which imply presence as life was essential in creating it from various rocks found during previous missions by scientists who visited it since April 25. “Mars is currently devoid of life; therefore our current understanding doesn’t account for its production of oxygen under fully abiotic circumstances. “Curiosity’s journey took it past heavily eroded rocks when traveling through Gale crater – an enormous, ancient lake bed which it has been exploring since 2012.” ChemCam onboard the rover was used to detect manganese oxide within rocks by using laser light vaporization of tiny bits, then analyzing their cloud of plasma produced. According to a recently published research article from JGR Planets journal, carbon compounds comprise nearly half of rocks’ chemical composition. Subscribe now and stay informed with exciting discoveries like Gale Crater being filled with water millions of years ago! Curiosity recorded 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) of elevation change at the site where she discovered new rocks, according to NASA/JPL-Caltech data. As much as that may not seem significant compared to all of Curiosity’s travels over its lifespan, Gasda believes it points toward something unique taking place there and thus provides insight. “Where we found new sandstones, there appeared to be a change from “curved” to “flat-lined”, something Gasda and his colleagues interpret as evidence for river channels leading into lakes or nearing them opening out into them, said Gasda. That could indicate whether we’re near its edges. He cautioned that their interpretation was uncertain due to limited data, as Curiosity only drove past this region once. That made deciphering difficult; nevertheless, “this remains our best hypothesis”, said Dr. Hogan. If this hypothesis holds, manganese-oxide rich rocks in this region could have been dumped when river water slows as it entered a lake – similar to manganese oxide-rich rocks found along Earth lakes shorelines containing shallow waters. As Manasvi Lingam from Florida Institute of Technology’s non-affiliated research told Live Science, these new rocks “provide yet more evidence for past liquid water on Mars which supports life”. “This work offers evidence for habitability on Mars; however, not everyone agrees that recently discovered rocks indicate an oxygen-rich planet.” According to Jeffrey Catalano, professor of Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences at Washington University in St. Louis – though uninvolved with this particular research project – oxidized rocks might provide clues as to whether Mars experienced similar “punctuated transition” from low oxygen periods into periods with higher concentrations. “Manganese oxides may have an overstated role in our understanding of planetary transition,” Catalano stated to Live Science. In 2022 he participated in a study which demonstrated manganese oxide could form easily under conditions similar to Mars without atmospheric oxygen present. Studies conducted using laboratory experiments demonstrated that chlorine and bromine, two elements that are abundant on early Mars, converted manganese dissolved in water into manganese oxide minerals. This discovery provided another explanation for rocks found recently on Mars, similar to those recently unearthed on Earth. Kaushik Mitra, a geochemist at University of Texas at San Antonio and leader of this study stated in 2022: “Earth harbors several life forms which do not rely on oxygen for survival; however I do not consider this an impediment to habitability – only that there probably weren’t oxygen-based lifeforms available at that point in history.