Mars lacks one crucial element for sustaining life — liquid water. Although it contains other essential ingredients, the planet’s surface is extremely dry today. However, the presence of ancient riverbeds, valleys, and lake basins shows that water once flowed across the Martian surface in the distant past.
NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered rocks rich in carbonate minerals — similar to limestone found on Earth. These carbonates form when carbon dioxide from the atmosphere reacts with water and gets trapped within rocks, locking away carbon over geological timescales.
On Earth, carbonates play a key role in maintaining the climate balance. They capture carbon dioxide from the air, which later gets released by volcanic activity, keeping the planet warm enough for water to remain in liquid form. This natural carbon cycle helps sustain conditions suitable for life.
Mars has very weak volcanic activity compared to Earth. As a result, carbon dioxide remains locked inside the rocks instead of being released back into the atmosphere. This has caused the planet’s climate to cool drastically, leaving it too cold and dry to support liquid water or life as we know it.
Possibly. Scientists believe that underground pockets of water or ice may still exist. In 2021, NASA’s Perseverance rover found signs of carbonate deposits near a dried-up lake bed, suggesting that traces of ancient or subsurface water could still be present beneath the Martian crust.
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