After a year of exploring an enigmatic Martian valley, NASA’s **Curiosity rover** is now targeting a new and fascinating site. This car-sized robotic investigator will focus on a distinctive geological structure referred to as a “boxwork,” which is believed to have formed billions of years ago due to warm groundwater activity. This is important since the presence of water suggests the potential for life — at least the type scientists are accustomed to. Researchers are especially interested in determining whether this boxwork may have historically supported ancient single-celled life forms.

“Primitive Earth microbes could have flourished in a similar setting,” noted Kirsten Siebach, a rover scientist located in Houston, in a [statement](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-curiosity-mars-rover-takes-a-last-look-at-mysterious-sulfur/). “This makes it a thrilling place for exploration.”

Since its journey commenced in 2011, Curiosity has journeyed roughly 372 million miles: approximately [352 million](https://www.lpi.usra.edu/features/ala_msl/landing/index.shtml#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20total%20distance,or%20about%20two%20Earth%20years).) through the cosmos and about 20 million miles navigating the Martian landscape.

At its previous stop, Gediz Vallis, the rover made an unexpected find: [pure sulfur](https://mashable.com/article/nasa-mars-perseverance-curiosity-rock-discoveries). As the rover’s wheels compressed the substance, a bed of yellow crystals was uncovered. Curiosity discovered itself encircled by a cluster of sulfur-rich rocks, an uncommon discovery on Mars. While sulfur often presents itself mixed with other substances, finding it in pure form is quite remarkable.

On Earth, pure sulfur is typically linked with volcanic emissions and geothermal springs. It can also occur through bacterial interactions — a possible indicator of life.

“We don’t think we’re anywhere near a volcano where the rover is,” remarked Abigail Fraeman, deputy project scientist for Curiosity, in a September conversation with Mashable. “So that makes this a perplexing feature to encounter in this specific area.”

The rover’s upcoming expedition will extend over a few months, but scientists are keen to investigate the boxwork area at the foot of Mount Sharp. They anticipate that it may yield insights into Mars’ archaic past. From pictures taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the boxwork is visible as a [spiderweb of ridges](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia26306-hirise-views-mount-sharps-boxwork/), extending for several miles. Dark sand fills the gaps between the ridges, offering a striking visual contrast.

Mars boasts various types of ridge networks, each forming through different processes. Near the planet’s southern pole lies a feature called “[Inca City](https://mashable.com/article/mars-inca-city-spiders),” which is believed to have emerged following a meteor impact that created fault lines in the terrain, later filled by magma.

Scientists theorize that the boxwork adjacent to Mount Sharp formed when the [final traces of water](https://mashable.com/article/mars-water-waves-evidence-nasa) infiltrated fissures in the surface rock and solidified. As the surrounding rock eroded over time, the solidified minerals endured, resulting in the boxwork configuration.

Boxwork structures can also be found on Earth, typically in caves or on cliff faces, where the influence of groundwater is crucial. However, the Mars boxwork is distinctive because it likely formed as water was receding from the planet. Moreover, geologists are intrigued by the extensive dimensions of the Martian boxwork, which spans between six to twelve miles.

The Curiosity team is eager to ascertain whether this environment could have been conducive to microbial life in the ancient past. “These ridges will encompass minerals that crystallized beneath the surface, where the conditions were warmer, with salty liquid water circulating through,” Siebach expounded.

As Curiosity presses on with its expedition, scientists aspire to unveil more mysteries regarding Mars’ ancient, aqueous history — and potentially its capacity to have once sustained life.