Why is Mars red? We have long known that Mars is red by rust contained in dust, which the storms spread throughout the planet. New research indicates, however, that Iron oxidized as a result of other processes than we thought. This, however, suggests that water on Mars could be more common than we thought. A new study of Martian dust gives a better insight into the history of the planet.
It’s not hematite: Until recently, it was thought that red dust was the result of rusting hematite, a mineral that arises without water. Such conclusions in previous studies were drawn only on the basis of observation of Mars from orbit. And that these They did not show the presence of water, hematite seemed to be a good explanation. As a consequence, it was assumed that Mars gained red color in its later history, long after they occurred on its surface – according to assumptions – lakes and rivers.
However, iron with water: The new analysis published in “Nature Communications” indicates that The rust iron oxide on the surface of Mars comes from ferrihydrite. It is a redhead that arises – unlike hematite – with cold water. Therefore, this mineral probably formed when there was still water on the planet before Mars turned into a red desert.
We have proof: Previous studies have already indicated that it was ferrihydrite that could be a source of red to Mars. Only now, however, the data collected in many space missions and the restoration of rust formations on the red planet gave evidence. “We discovered that ferrihydrite mixed with basalt, a volcanic rock, best suits minerals observed by space probes on Mars,” says the main author of the study, Adomas Valantinas, an assistant professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Planets at the University of Brown.
Water and life: The discovery that Ferrihydrite is responsible for red color suggests that on Mars there was liquid water, which is a necessary condition for life, notes Valantinas. Especially that there had to be oxygen on the planet, which led to the rust. Ferrihydrite had to arise during a high volcanic activity, which led to melting ice, which resulted in the interaction of rocks with water. Further research will allow you to better understand the geological history of Mars and whether there could be life on Mars.
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Source: Gazeta
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