Sulfur Is Discovered On Mars

Serendipity and Sulfur Clumsiness can sometimes lead to great things. As NASA’s Curiosity rover was exploring Gediz Vallis, a channel carved into Mars’ Mount Sharp, it accidentally rolled over and cracked open a rock that contained yellowish-green crystals. Scientists established the rover had found pure sulfur – a first-ever on the Red Planet. They also identified a plain with similar rocks, potentially making for a sulfur-rich area. “Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert,” said NASA’s Ashwin Vasavada. “It shouldn’t be there, so now we have to explain it.” Since October 2023, Curiosity has explored a region of Mars where it discovered sulfates, a kind of salt that contains sulfur mixed with other elements. Researchers have yet to determine whether the pure sulfur the rover found has any links with the sulfates. “No one had pure sulfur on their bingo card,” Vasavada told CNN. The place where Curiosity found the rock matters, too. Gediz Vallis is a groove that was likely created around 3 billion years ago by a mix of flowing water and debris. “Pure elemental sulfur is a very weird finding because on Earth, we mostly find it in places like hydrothermal vents. Think Yellowstone!” said Briony Horgan from Purdue University. The past existence of steam vents on Mars was proven a few years ago when NASA’s Spirit rover accidentally found pure silica – by means of having dragged along a broken wheel which revealed white soil. The pure sulfur discovery adds to a body of knowledge aimed at helping scientists understand whether Mars once had a habitable environment. Curiosity, which has been roaming around Mars since 2012, is now driving around Mount Sharp rather than up, in search of new surprises.