Space & Cosmos

Oldest direct evidence of hydrothermal activity on Mars discovered

A sample of the Martian meteorite known as Black Beauty. Credit: Curtin University/Aaron Kabosie

New Curtin University-led research uncovers what may be the oldest direct evidence of ancient hydrothermal activity on Mars, revealing the planet may have been habitable at some point in its past It became.

The study analyzed 4.45 billion-year-old zircon particles from the famous Martian meteorite NWA7034, also known as Black Beauty, and discovered geochemical “fingerprints” of water-rich fluids.

Co-author of the study, Dr Aaron Cavocy from the Curtin School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the discovery provides new insights not only into Mars’ past habitability, but also into understanding ancient Martian hydrothermal systems associated with magmatic activity. He said a new path had been opened.

“We used nanoscale geochemistry to detect elemental evidence of Martian hydrothermal waters 4.45 billion years ago,” Dr. Kabosie said. “Hydrothermal systems are essential for the development of life on Earth, and our findings show that Mars also had water, a key component of a habitable environment, during its early crustal history.” It suggests that.

“Through nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy, the research team identified this unique elemental pattern in zircon, including iron, aluminum, yttrium, and sodium. It was added as it formed, suggesting water was present during Mars’ early magmatism.” ”

The findings are published in the journal Science Advances.

Dr. Kabosie’s research shows that although the Martian crust withstood massive meteorite impacts that caused large-scale surface deformation, water was not present in the early Prenoachian period, about 4.1 billion years ago. It was shown that it existed.

“A 2022 Curtin study on the same zircon particle found that it had been ‘shocked’ by a meteorite impact, making it the first and only known shocked zircon from Mars. “It turns out,” Dr. Kabosie said.

“This new study identifies telltale signatures of water-rich fluids when the particles formed and provides geochemical markers of water in the oldest known Martian crust. This brings us one step closer to understanding early Mars.”

Lead author Dr Jacques Gillespie of the University of Lausanne was a postdoctoral researcher in Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the time of the study, which was carried out in collaboration with researchers at Curtin’s Center for Space Science and Technology, John de Laser. It was co-authored. Center and University of Adelaide.

Further information: Jack Gillespie, Zircon trace element evidence for early hydrothermal activity on Mars, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq3694

Provided by Curtin University

Citation: Oldest direct evidence of hydrothermal activity on Mars discovered (November 22, 2024) from https://phys.org/news/2024-11-oldest-evidence-hot-mars.html 2024 Retrieved November 23rd

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