Perseverance finds Jezero Crater had three separate water episodes

NASA's Perseverance rover studied the Margin Unit along Jezero Crater's ancient lake edge and found the rocks interacted with water at least three times. Instead of expected sedimentary rock, it found igneous rock with olivine, carbonates, silica and fluorite veins pointing to heated groundwater.

• Perseverance studied over 185 bedrock targets across 265 m of elevation
• Rocks were altered by water in at least three separate episodes
• 25 cm veins contain calcium sulfate and fluorite, a sign of hot fluids
• Carbonate and silica can preserve traces of ancient microbial life