NASA’s Opportunity Mars Rover has spotted an ancient lake at the edge of the |Endeavour Crater. As per the probe an expanse of liquid water may have once been at the edge of the Endeavor Crator which is about kilometers across. The edge of the crator is being examined that could have once been a lake of liquid water. Rocks were found that were either eroded by wind or transported by a flood. This has been identified just outside the rim crest of the crator, located above the ‘Perseverance Valley’.
After the walkabout survey above the area of the Perseverance Valley is completed researchers have made plans to to drive Opportunity Rover down the Perseverance Valley as well. Right since 2011, investigations are being conducted by this Opportunity mission on sites near and on the western rim of the Crator. Ray Arvidson, from Washington University in St Louis states that the walk about has been designed in a way that researchers get to have a look at what exists above the Perseverance Valley. Deputy Principal Invetstigator Mr. Arvidson, states that a pattern of striations have been spotted running outside the crest of the crator’s rim. A broad notch is spotted at a top portion of the crest. Rock patches have been spotted lining the sides of the east-west swath slightly depressed ground which could have been drainage channel for water billions of years ago.
Researchers want to find out whether the rocks are transported or are in place rocks. After taking a look at the look, researchers state that there are many possibilities. One is that the lake was perched outside the rim of the crator, which is now end of the catchment. Another possibility is that rocks may have been brought down by a flood that overflowed into the crator and breached the rim, carved the valled down the inner side of the crator’s rim. A third possibility is that impact that created the crator could have fractured the area, and then the fractures were filled by rock dikes. Rocks then underwent wind erosion, states Arvindson. Images of the Perseverancne Valley are being analyzed by the team as of now.
