Has the water already sunk on Mars?

NASA has released great images of a crater on Mars that once housed lakes and streams.

The mission of the Criosity probe has reached almost half of its mission to explore Mount Sharp in the Gale Crater, where Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified mud deposits seen from space.

The Criosity study revealed a difference in the rocks, indicating a more dynamic environment than that originally predicted by scientists, suggesting that the presence of water on Mars was "somewhat complex".

The automated explorer landed on Mars on August 6, 2012 and has traveled 21 kilometers since. It is currently focused on the mud-rich deposits in the crater.

The research team discovered minerals in unexpected places, including in other parts of Mount Sharp. In an area known as "gravel position", for example, some rocks may be too small to be seen from the orbit.

Other areas have shown signs of a more complex past, including areas known as Teal Ridge and a rock called Strathdon, where we can see dozens of layers of sediment arranged in a "fragile and undulating heap".

This is very different from the flat layers seen elsewhere, indicating the presence of wind or even running water.

NASA has several missions to investigate the secrets of Mars, including a plan to send a new vehicle to the red planet in 2020.