https://www.space.com/space-exploration/mars-rovers/nasas-curiosity-mars-rover-discovers-evidence-of-ripples-from-an-ancient-red-planet-lake-images Skip to main content (*) ( ) Open menu Close menu Space [ ] Search Search Space [ ] Subscribe RSS * * Space Exploration * The Universe * Stargazing * Launches & Spacecraft * Videos * The Moon * More + Solar System + Artemis + James Webb Space Telescope + Entertainment + Search for Life + Tech + Forums + Subscribe to "All about Space" magazine + About Us + Web Notifications All About Space Magazine All About Space Magazine Why subscribe? * Jam packed issues filled with the latest cutting-edge research, technology and theories delivered in an entertaining and visually stunning way, aiming to educate and inspire readers of all ages * Engaging articles, breathtaking images and expert knowledge * Issues delivered straight to your door From$28.75 View Trending * Boeing SLS rocket layoffs? * Night sky tonight! * Aurora Forecast * Next Full Moon * Best Telescopes * Space Calendar * Best Binoculars * Lego Star Wars deals * Best Star Projectors * Best Drones * Solar System Planets 1. Space Exploration 2. Missions 3. Mars Rovers NASA's Curiosity Mars rover discovers evidence of ripples from an ancient Red Planet lake (images) News By Stefanie Waldek published 20 February 2025 The ripples suggest that the lake was free of ice at one point. * * * * * * * Comments (0) When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works. A reddish section of ground with ripple patterns. NASA's Curiosity rover imaged these ripples on the edge of a (now dry) Martian lake bed on Sol 3642 (Nov. 4, 2022). (Image credit: NASA /JPL-Caltech/MSSS) Today, we know of Mars as a cold, dry desert, with patches of subterranean ice and ice caps at its poles. Billions of years ago, however, liquid water flowed freely across the planet. And, while NASA's various Mars rovers have uncovered signs that such water once existed on Mars, there's perhaps no better evidence of an ice-free, shallow lake than these two sets of ripples in Martian rock. In November 2022, NASA's Curiosity rover imaged the Amapari Marker Band in the foothills of Mount Sharp, located in Gale Crater. Within the marker band itself -- a thin, dark layer of rock -- scientists recognized wave ripples in what would've once been a sandy shoreline. A few weeks later, Curiosity imaged another set of wave ripples in the nearby Prow outcrop, which would have been on the lake bed. The ripples are thought to have formed some 3.7 billion years ago, during a period when Mars was thought to be drying up. But their presence indicates that Mars' climate would have been fairly warm -- and its surface wet -- at the time. "The shape of the ripples could only have been formed under water that was open to the atmosphere and acted upon by wind," California Institute of Technology (Caltech) postdoctoral researcher Caire Mondro said in a statement. And if the water was blown by wind, that means it was not covered in ice, as some scientists have hypothesized. From these ripples, researchers not only determined the existence of a shallow lake here, but also its depth. Using a computer model, Caltech professor of geology Michael Lamb found that the size and spacing of the ripples indicate the lake was less than six feet (two meters) deep. You may like * Mysterious Mars mounds may bolster case for ancient Red Planet ocean * Volcanic cones on Mars tell a tale of ice and fire A black and white image of a section of mars with ripple patterns. These ripples were imaged by Curiosity on Sol 3684 (Dec. 16, 2022). (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS) Related Stories: -- Ocean's worth of water may be buried within Mars -- We finally know where to look for life on Mars -- Did NASA's Viking landers accidentally kill life on Mars? Why one scientist thinks so "Earlier missions, beginning with Opportunity in 2004, discovered ripples formed by water flowing across the surface of ancient Mars, but it was uncertain if that water ever pooled to form lakes or shallow seas," John Grotzinger, the former project scientist for Curiosity's mission, said in the statement. "The Curiosity rover discovered evidence for long-lived ancient lakes in 2014, and now 10 years later Curiosity has discovered ancient lakes that were free of ice, offering an important insight into the planet's early climate." A paper on the discovery was published in the journal Science Advances on Jan. 15. Get the Space.com Newsletter Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! [ ][ ]Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands[ ]Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors[Sign me up] By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. See all comments (0) Stefanie Waldek Stefanie Waldek Social Links Navigation Contributing writer Space.com contributing writer Stefanie Waldek is a self-taught space nerd and aviation geek who is passionate about all things spaceflight and astronomy. With a background in travel and design journalism, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University, she specializes in the budding space tourism industry and Earth-based astrotourism. In her free time, you can find her watching rocket launches or looking up at the stars, wondering what is out there. 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