This meteorite confirmed water presence on Mars 4.4B years ago
A Martian meteorite called "Black Beauty," which was found on Earth in 2011, has revealed traces of water on Mars dating back 4.45 billion years. The study focused on a single grain of the mineral zircon trapped in the meteorite. The finding sheds new light on whether Mars was habitable in its ancient past and corroborates earlier discoveries of possible water bodies on the planet's surface.
A key to Mars's ancient history
The Black Beauty meteorite, or NWA 7034, was found in the Sahara Desert. It had been blasted off from Mars's surface due to an impact from another celestial body between five million and 10 million years ago. Pieces of this meteorite have helped scientists study ancient Mars for years. The research team's analysis shows that water was present just 100 million years after the planet formed, hinting at possible habitability.
Zircon: A window into Mars's past
The zircon grain in Black Beauty remained unaltered despite its journey to Earth and entry into our planet's atmosphere. This preservation enabled scientists to detect unusual amounts of sodium, iron, and aluminum within it. These elements indicate that water-rich fluids left their mark on the zircon as it formed 4.45 billion years ago. The patterns observed in this Martian zircon are similar to those found in zircons from Earth's hydrothermal systems, hinting at possible hot springs on ancient Mars.
Hydrothermal systems on ancient Mars
The finding of Earth-like hydrothermal system patterns in the Martian zircon begs the question of how common such systems were on ancient Mars. If they were a stable feature, it could mean that habitable conditions may have existed for a long time.
