Curiosity Cracked Open A Martian Rock And Found Elemental Sulfur

A rock on Mars spilled a surprising yellow treasure after NASA’s Curiosity rover accidentally cracked through its unremarkable exterior.

This is the first time sulfur has been found in its pure elemental form on Mars. I Photo: Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

When the rover rolled its 899-kilogram (1,982-pound) body over the rock in May last year, it broke open, revealing yellow crystals of elemental sulfur—brimstone.

While sulfates are fairly common on Mars, this marks the first time sulfur has been found in its pure elemental form on the Red Planet, Michelle Starr reported for ScienceAlert.

Even more intriguing, the Gediz Vallis Channel, where Curiosity discovered the rock, is littered with others that look strikingly similar to the sulfur rock before it was fortuitously crushed.

This suggests that, somehow, elemental sulfur may be abundant in certain areas.

"Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert," said Curiosity project scientist Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in July. "It shouldn't be there, so now we have to explain it. Discovering strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting."

Sulfates are salts that form when sulfur—usually in compound form—mixes with other minerals in water. When the water evaporates, the minerals mix and dry out, leaving sulfates behind.

These sulfate minerals provide valuable insights into Mars’ water history and how the planet has weathered over time.

Pure sulfur, on the other hand, only forms under a very specific set of conditions that were not previously known to have occurred in the region where Curiosity made its discovery.

Sulfur is an essential element for all life. It is typically absorbed in the form of sulfates and is necessary for the production of two essential amino acids required to build proteins in living organisms.