# Perseverance rover water discoveries on Mars

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/perseverance-rover-water-discoveries-on-mars
> Updated: 2026-09-26T22:53:33.000Z. Sources: 19. Developments: 3.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has identified evidence of complex, multi-phase water activity within the Jezero Crater on Mars. While researchers initially anticipated finding sedimentary rocks from lake deposits, the rover instead discovered olivine-rich igneous rocks that originated from cooling magma.

Analysis of these rocks indicates they underwent at least three distinct stages of water interaction. The process began with carbon dioxide-rich groundwater reacting with magmatic minerals to form carbonate ridges. This was followed by exposure to an ancient lake, which resulted in the formation of silica-rich rocks. The final identified phase involved the circulation of hot water among volcanic rocks, evidenced by the presence of calcium sulfate and fluoride mineral veins.

New research published in Communications Earth & Environment, based on the analysis of 185 bedrock targets using the rover’s SuperCam instrument, identified eight distinct mineralogical groups, including iron-rich clusters and silica-rich phases. These findings confirm that olivine was transformed into carbonate and silica through water interactions, suggesting the Margin Unit served as a crossroads for multiple aqueous systems.

In a related study, researchers from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) addressed the scarcity of carbonate rocks on the Martian surface. Despite Mars once having a thick atmosphere and abundant water, surface carbonates are unexpectedly rare. The study suggests that feldspar-rich rocks show evidence of water interaction and proposes that groundwater may have buried significant amounts of carbonates underground, potentially explaining the planet’s missing water history.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-26: Mars exploration: Perseverance rover finds unexpected igneous rocks in Jezero Crater

NASA’s Perseverance rover has found unexpected igneous rocks in Mars’ Jezero Crater, while JAXA researchers suggest underground carbonates may explain the planet's missing water history.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mars-exploration-perseverance-rover-finds-unexpected-igneous-rocks-in-jezero-crater

### 2026-09-24: Perseverance rover discovers complex water systems in Mars' Jezero Crater

NASA’s Perseverance rover has identified complex, multi-phase water activity in Mars' Jezero Crater, revealing evidence of ancient hydrothermal systems and volcanic rock interactions.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/perseverance-rover-discovers-complex-water-systems-in-mars-jezero-crater

### 2026-09-21: Perseverance rover finds evidence of three water episodes on Mars

NASA’s Perseverance rover has found evidence of three separate water-related episodes in the Jezero Crater, revealing a complex history of groundwater, lake water, and hydrothermal activity on Mars.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/perseverance-rover-reveals-complex-ancient-water-history-on-mars

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Cite as: Perseverance rover water discoveries on Mars. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/perseverance-rover-water-discoveries-on-mars