The Curiosity rover, a 1-ton vehicle equipped with 17 cameras, has previously identified sulfur-based minerals on Mars. However, the detection of elemental sulfur in large quantities is unprecedented. The find was made in a field of rocks, similar in composition to the one that the rover split open, revealing yellowish-green crystals.
"Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert," explained Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "It shouldn't be there, so now we have to explain it."
Carl D. Hoff, a chemistry professor at the University of Miami, who has extensive experience working with sulfur, offered insight into the potential implications of this discovery. "Anything," Hoff said, when asked what the presence of pure sulfur on Mars might mean. "It could even be the case that it came from a meteorite shower; elemental sulfur is often found in rocks from meteors."
For Hoff, the discovery brought back memories of his childhood experiments with sulfur. "Utilizing a late 1950's Gilbert Chemistry Set, I was a good character match for Steve Urkel of Family Matters," he reminisced. "Real chemicals were involved, and it was removed from the shelves later, but not before I had caused evacuation of our house on several occasions due to experiments in burning sulfur and reacting it with different metals."
Hoff emphasized the importance of sulfur, describing it as essential to life. "Flexibility and versatility are what sulfur brings to the table," he said. He further explained sulfur's role in various proteins and its strong binding properties, particularly with metals. This binding characteristic, according to Hoff, is why sulfur must be removed from gasoline and why it can bind mercury in proteins like cysteine found in human hair.
Initially, Hoff was skeptical about the significance of the discovery, viewing it as "much ado about nothing much." However, he acknowledged the accomplishment of remotely operating equipment on Mars, stating, "The most significant result is being able to go to Mars and operate equipment remotely and that this leads you to find a pretty rock that contains S8 yellow sulfur just like in the Gilbert Chemistry set. It has been known for some time that this was probable, and now it is proven. The joy of the scientists who remotely controlled this is real and justified but more for the technical skill and not the rock they found."
Hoff also praised the ingenuity of NASA engineers for their ability to navigate a rover on Mars, calling it "a great achievement." He noted that China's recent Mars mission also demonstrated significant technical prowess, despite its rover becoming stuck after providing evidence of possible water on Mars 400,000 years ago. Hoff expressed hope that the research on Mars will continue, suggesting a follow-up in 40 years.
Related Links
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