False colour image of the delta in Jezero Crater
False colour image of the delta in Jezero Crater
A variety of interesting minerals have been detected in the ancient delta on the north-western inner rim of the 35-kilometre-wide Jezero Crater, which will be studied by Perseverance. This image shows a combination of images from two camera systems on board NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter – high-resolution images from the HiRISE camera and superimposed, colour data from the CRISM spectrometer, which reveal the different minerals. In addition to the magnesium-iron silicates of the olivines, these also include carbonates (limestones) and clay minerals (weathered volcanic rocks altered by contact with water). The latter two mineral groups are known to be particularly good at preserving traces of life – referred to as biosignatures.
