The hypothesis that Mars formerly had a liquid surface ocean and a wave-like environment is supported by the Curiosity rover’s findings.

Since its 2004 landing, the Curiosity rover has been investigating Mars’ Gale Crater. Despite its familiarity, Mars still has surprises in store, as seen by the recent finding of an ancient lake bed in an unlikely spot.

The rover captured stunning images of Martian rocks with evidence of water’s past presence. This rock ripple was likely caused by waves stirring up sediment at the bottom of a shallow lake billions of years ago, according to a theory proposed by NASA on Wednesday.

Mount Sharp, the huge peak in the middle of the crater, is the current target of Curiosity’s ascent. The fundamental objective of our rover’s mission to Mars is to test the theory that conditions on Mars were once amenable to the development of microbes. Knowledge of the crater’s water history is crucial to the success of your mission.

According to Curiosity rover scientist Ashwin Vasavada, this is the strongest evidence yet that water and waves ever existed on Mars. After searching through many thousand feet of lake sediments, we came up empty-handed. It had previously been assumed that this phenomena did not occur on a local scale, therefore this finding came as something of a surprise.

According to NASA, the mountain’s stratigraphy can be understood as a timeline, with the oldest strata located at the mountain’s base and the most recent ones located at its peak. These rocks can be found in the Marker Band, a location defined by a thick band of dark rock. In spite of the Curiosity rover’s best efforts, the extremely dense rocks in this area have prevented any drilling. Whatever the case may be, they have an objective of reaching the softer rock below.

Research has been conducted on more than only the rocks at the lake’s bottom. Also, the stratified rocks were found by the Curiosity rover. Research is currently investigating whether or not dust storms in the distant past contributed to the formation of these rock strata. “The wave ripples, debris flows, and rhythmic layers,” as Vasavada puts it, characterize the transition from wet to dry conditions on Mars. The climate of prehistoric Mars was remarkably complicated, and it had many characteristics with our own planet’s environment.