Scheduled for launch in 2028, the European Space Agency mission will target Oxia Planum, a clay-rich plain shaped by water billions of years ago. Researchers say rockfalls and ancient floods may supply the rover with previously shielded samples containing organic molecules.
Dr Aleksandra Sokolowska of Brown University and Imperial College London reported the discovery of 258 rockfalls around the landing site using NASA's HiRISE camera. Boulders, some up to eight metres wide, tumbled from crater walls and mounds, carving tracks up to 500 metres long. These events expose fresh material from beneath the Martian surface, potentially preserving molecules from radiation damage.
"More rockfalls are likely waiting to be found, as our manual follow-ups on small areas revealed many more than our semi-automatic search over the whole Oxia Planum region," noted Sokolowska. She explained that impact craters fracture the ground and set conditions for rockfalls, but that recent marsquakes or new impacts are not direct triggers.
A separate study by Ananya Srivastava of the University of Western Ontario found that clay deposits in Oxia Planum likely formed through episodic floods about 3.5 billion years ago. Her team identified multiple alternating clay layers with varying thicknesses, suggesting they were transported from the highlands and deposited in cycles.
"These results, particularly the variation in the layer thickness, imply that the clays may have originated elsewhere before being transported and deposited in the Oxia basin," said Srivastava. She added that the diversity of conditions improves the chances of finding preserved organic matter, offering potential clues to ancient Martian environments and climate.
Together, the findings suggest that Rosalind Franklin may not need to drill deeply or travel far to access prime samples, as natural processes have already delivered them to the surface.
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Research Report:Multi-Scale Spectral Characterisation of clay-Rich Crater Walls in Oxia Planum
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