New research suggests the possibility of the oldest direct evidence of hot water activity on Mars, indicating that the planet might have been suitable for life at some stage in its history.
Recent studies led by Curtin University indicate that we may have found the oldest direct signs of hot water activity on Mars, hinting at the planet’s potential habitability in its ancient past.
The research focused on a 4.45 billion-year-old zircon grain from the well-known Martian meteorite NWA7034, nicknamed Black Beauty. The analysis revealed geochemical markers indicating the presence of water-rich fluids.
Dr. Aaron Cavosie, a co-author of the study from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, stated that this finding provides new insights into ancient Martian hydrothermal systems linked to volcanic activity and sheds light on the planet’s possible habitability.
“We employed nano-scale geochemistry to discover elemental signs of hot water on Mars dating back 4.45 billion years,” Dr. Cavosie explained.
“Hydrothermal systems played a vital role in the emergence of life on Earth, and our results imply that Mars also possessed water—a crucial element for life—during its early crust formation phase.”
“By utilizing advanced imaging and spectroscopy techniques, our team detected patterns of elements like iron, aluminum, yttrium, and sodium within this specific zircon. These elements were incorporated as the zircon formed, indicating that water was likely present during early volcanic activity on Mars.”
Dr. Cavosie noted that the study indicates the presence of water during Mars’ early Pre-Noachian period, even amidst significant meteorite impacts that dramatically altered the planet’s surface.
“A 2022 Curtin study examined the same zircon grain and revealed it had been ‘shocked’ by a meteorite impact, making it the first and only known shocked zircon from Mars,” Dr. Cavosie added.
“This new research advances our understanding of early Mars by identifying clear signs of water-rich fluids from the time the zircon formed, providing geochemical evidence of water in the oldest known Martian crust.”
Lead author Dr. Jack Gillespie, formerly a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, collaborated with researchers from Curtin’s Space Science and Technology Centre, John de Laeter Centre, and the University of Adelaide. The project was funded by the Australian Research Council, Curtin University, the University of Adelaide, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.
The comprehensive study entitled ‘Zircon evidence for early hydrothermal activity on Mars’ will be featured in Science Advances.
