NASA's Curiosity rover locates a whole lot of clay on Mars

May 30 (UPI) -- Scientists sent NASA's Curiosity rover looking for clay, and according to the latest mission update, the spacecraft obliged. It turns out, the target region known as the "clay-bearing unit" boasts a whole lot of clay.

Curiosity recently analyzed a pair of freshly drilled rock samples, dubbed "Aberlady" and "Kilmarie." The samples were tested using the rover's mineralogy instrument, called CheMin. The test results revealed the highest concentration of clay minerals yet measured in rock samples collected by Curiosity.

Because clay often forms in water, finding and studying clay deposits on Mars could help better explain the Red Planet's watery past, as well as the potential for Mars to host extraterrestrial life.

The confirmed presence of large amounts of clay in Gale Crater, where Curiosity and the clay-bearing unit are located, suggests the crater was once filled with water. Scientists suspect the clay formed as sediments and water interacted over long periods of time. The rocks formed as layers of lake-bottom mud became compressed over millions of years.

The Mars 2020 mission will also focus on the Mars geologic history, specifically its history of water and its potential habitability. This week, NASA shared an image of the landing site for the Mars 2020 mission, Jezero Crater.

Like Gale Crater, scientists suspect Jezero Crater was once filled with water. Its watery history is visible in the sedimentary formations that texture its interior surface, as well as its outer contours. Like Curiosity, Mars 2020 is likely to find clay deposits when it finally lands in Jezero Crater.