Lakes on Mars?

According to NASA, their curiosity rover has uncovered the clearest evidence that there were once lakes on Mars.

In a tweet that included video from the rover, NASA stated, “

A new panorama from @MarsCuriosity provides some of the clearest evidence yet that ancient waves once lapped Martian lakeshores—in a region that scientists didn’t expect”

The Daily Caller reported that,

“Curiosity’s team stumbled upon the clearest evidence yet of that a shallow lake existed in the area, its waves stirring up sediment at the lake bottom to create rippled textures in the rocks now being observed by NASA’s scientists, a release from the agency stated.

The sulfate-bearing unit, located in the foothills of the 3-mile-high Martian mountain known as Mount Sharp, has been a focal point for scientists who believe that the location contains clues as to how and why Mars became the frozen planet it is today, the outlet reported.”

In a statement from NASA on the discovery, officials stated:

“Mount Sharp is made up of layers, with the oldest at the bottom of the mountain and the youngest at the top. As the rover ascends, it progresses along a Martian timeline, allowing scientists to study how Mars evolved from a planet that was more Earth-like in its ancient past, with a warmer climate and plentiful water, to the freezing desert it is today.”

NASA officials added, “The wave ripples, debris flows, and rhythmic layers all tell us that the story of wet-to-dry on Mars wasn’t simple… Mars’ ancient climate had a wonderful complexity to it, much like Earth’s.”

The Curiosity rover has been reporting from Mars since 2014.