A landscape to interpret
Channels, deltas and sedimentary rocks are like pages in an archive. Their shapes and minerals can indicate that liquid water was present at particular places and times. Scientists combine geological and chemical observations with images to reconstruct the story.
From orbiter to rover
Instruments in orbit identify structures and minerals across wide areas. A rover can then approach, photograph layers and analyse their composition. The views complement one another: maps help select destinations, while ground exploration adds detail.
Water does not automatically mean life
Past water helps scientists assess whether an environment could have been habitable; it is not, by itself, evidence that life existed.