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Curiosity Discovers Ancient Debris Channel Potentially Formed by Water

Curiosity, NASA’s impressive Mars rover, has been on a journey up Mt. Sharp in Gale Crater for almost 12 years now. Recently, it reached an intriguing feature called Gediz Vallis channel, which could shed light on Mars’ ancient watery history. This channel appears to have been carved by water billions of years ago and has since been filled with rock.

While the upper regions of Mt. Sharp are inaccessible to Curiosity, nature has provided the rover with rocks that have tumbled down from the mountain, creating a ridge and filling up the channel. These rocks, within Curiosity’s reach, may hold valuable clues about Mars’ watery past.

Mars’ history of surface liquid water is a complex puzzle with many pieces. Evidence of hydrated minerals, sulphates, river channels, and deltas on Mars suggests a once warm and wet environment. Gediz Vallis, though a small part of Mars, could provide significant insights into the planet’s past.

This image from 2019 shows a proposed route for MSL Curiosity. The rover is about to expire Gediz Vallis Channel. Image Credit: By NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/Univ. of Arizona/JHUAPL/MSSS/USGS Astrogeology Science Center

Understanding Gediz Vallis starts with Mt. Sharp, which was formed over geological time by sediment deposition in layers. The channel, with its steep walls, suggests water carving rather than wind erosion. The rocky debris in the channel likely originated from the upper reaches of Mt. Sharp, offering Curiosity a glimpse into areas it cannot reach.

This image shows the debris piles in the Gediz Vallis channel as seen by MSL Curiosity. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UC Berkeley

Project scientist Ashwin Vasavada expressed excitement about the possibility of water formation in the channel or debris pile, suggesting a return of water after a long dry period on Mars. This aligns with other evidence of varying water phases on the planet, complicating our understanding of its history.

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Gediz Vallis Ridge is the hill-like slope at right in this MSL Curiosity image captured on August 19th, 2023. It took the rover three attempts over three years before it could reach the ridge. It spent 11 days at the ridge and is now working its way to Gediz Vallis Channel. The formation has scientists intrigued because of what it might tell them about the history of water on the Red Planet. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

While exploring Gediz Vallis will take months, the data collected could provide valuable insights into Mars’ watery past. Recent research, based partially on Curiosity’s data, suggests episodic water presence on Mars, challenging the notion of water disappearing at once. Gediz Vallis’s role in Mars’ story is yet to be fully understood, but ongoing exploration could unravel more of the planet’s complex history.

This digital elevation model (DEM) provides some context for Curiosity's journey. Image Credit: Hughes et al. 2022 — This digital elevation model (DEM) provides some context for Curiosity’s journey. Image Credit: Hughes et al. 2022

Curiosity’s meticulous exploration of Gediz Vallis holds promise for unraveling Mars’ mysteries, offering valuable insights into the planet’s dynamic geological past.

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Is now the right time to invest in gold as prices have cooled?

Now may be the time to buy gold following a recent lull in its price.

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The price of gold has climbed to record highs recently and has remained strong through much of April. And, that growth continued until the precious metal traded at around $2,390 per ounce on April 19, 2024. But since, growth in the price of the precious metal has cooled, with gold’s price now hovering around $2,300 per ounce.

This lull in gold’s price may represent an investment opportunity.

In general, investing is centered around buying assets when prices are low and selling them when prices are high – generating a profit on the difference between the two. So, considering the declines in gold’s price over the past few days, now may be the time to make your investment. But is buying gold during this lull in prices really a good idea?

Compare your gold investment options among leading brokers now.

Gold prices have cooled. Should you buy in now?

With gold’s price down from recent highs, you may be wondering if now is the right time to buy in. There are several reasons the dip in gold’s price may represent an opportunity to buy. Here are some of the biggest:

Prices may rise again

If looking at a gold price chart shows anything for certain, it shows that changes in the overall growth of the medal come in fits and spurts. Periods of price growth are typically followed by periods of declines and vice versa.

But with inflation rising in recent months – and with gold’s reputation as a safe-haven asset that can hedge against inflation – it only makes sense that the price of the precious metal will eventually start to head up again in the future. While attempting to time that directional change may be tricky, buying the precious metal while the price is down gives you the opportunity to take advantage of any upward movement that may be ahead.

Add gold to your portfolio now before prices have a chance to rise.

You may be able to make a quick profit

Gold isn’t known as an asset in which you can earn a quick return, but in today’s market, that may be the case. Don’t forget that in January, gold was trading at just $2,000 per ounce. And, by mid-April, the commodity’s price had climbed to around $2,400 per ounce. That’s about 20% growth in a matter of months, much of which happened since March 1 – an impressive climb for any investment asset.

Perhaps more importantly, gold’s price growth through the beginning of 2024 shows that the commodity doesn’t have to be a buy and hold style investment that you keep in a safety deposit box or precious metal depository for years to come. There’s also the possibility that the commodity’s price could climb further ahead, making it a compelling way to potentially generate a quick profit.

There are other benefits of investing in gold

There are other benefits of investing in gold that have little to do with the price growth seen thus far in 2024 – or the lull in prices seen over the past couple of days. Those benefits include:

Inflation protection: Gold has long been considered an inflation hedge, and for good reason. When inflation drives the prices of consumer goods and services up – and the value of the dollar down – gold’s price tends to rise. So, it could be used to maintain the value of your portfolio during inflationary economic conditions. That’s important in today’s economic environment as stubborn inflation continues to weigh on the value of the dollar.
Portfolio diversification: Gold’s price doesn’t always move in the same pattern that bonds or stocks do. So, mixing a reasonable amount of gold into your portfolio (up to 10% of your portfolio assets) as a diversifier could protect you from losses should one or more of your traditional portfolio assets fall in value. “If you have less than 5% – 10% of your net worth in commodities & FX (forex), you should absolutely consider adding exposure to gold and other precious metals,” says Vijay Marolia, money manager and managing partner at the wealth management firm, Regal Point Capital.

The bottom line

Gold’s price has fallen from recent highs – which may represent an opportunity to tap into growth ahead. However, gold isn’t simply a “buy while it’s low and sell while it’s a high” kind of investment opportunity. The commodity can also protect your portfolio from the stubborn inflation we’ve seen thus far in 2024 while acting as a diversification tool that could increase your risk-adjusted portfolio returns. So, consider adding gold to your portfolio today while it has the potential to grow in value.

Joshua Rodriguez

Joshua Rodriguez is a personal finance and investing writer with a passion for his craft. When he’s not working, he enjoys time with his wife, two kids, two dogs and two ducks.