Spirit finds evidence of past liquid water on Mars
Posted: Sat, Mar 6, 2004, 9:56 AM ET (1456 GMT)
Just three days after scientists announced evidence that the Mars rover Opportunity had found evidence that liquid water once flowed on Mars, the twin rover Spirit has also found evidence for past liquid water. Scientists said Friday that they believe water once flowed through a rock examined by Spirit at its Gusev Crater landing site. Spirit's rock abrasion tool drilled a hole 1 millimeters deep into a rock dubbed Humphrey. That hole revealed bright material in crevices within the volcanic rock that scientists believe are minerals deposited there by water that percolated through the rock. The amount of water required to do this would have been substantially less than that needed to alter the rocks studied by Opportunity at the Meridiani Planum site halfway around the planet.
Just three days after scientists announced evidence that the Mars rover Opportunity had found evidence that liquid water once flowed on Mars, the twin rover Spirit has also found evidence for past liquid water. Scientists said Friday that they believe water once flowed through a rock examined by Spirit at its Gusev Crater landing site. Spirit's rock abrasion tool drilled a hole 1 millimeters deep into a rock dubbed Humphrey. That hole revealed bright material in crevices within the volcanic rock that scientists believe are minerals deposited there by water that percolated through the rock. The amount of water required to do this would have been substantially less than that needed to alter the rocks studied by Opportunity at the Meridiani Planum site halfway around the planet.
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