How the 'Black Beauty' of the Sahara Helped Scientists Determine Hot Water e

How the ‘Black Beauty’ of the Sahara Helped Scientists Determine Hot Water e

Australian scientists from Curtin University have found evidence of ancient hot water on Mars, suggesting the Red Planet once had conditions suitable for life. Researchers discovered geochemical traces of water-rich fluids in a 4.45 billion-year-old zircon grain of the Martian meteorite NWA7034, also known as ‘Black Beauty’.

The findings have been published in the journal Science Advances.

“Hydrothermal systems played a crucial role in the development of life on Earth. Our research shows that water – a key component for habitable environments – was present on Mars very early,” says Dr. Aaron Cavosie from Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences explained.

The team made the discovery while studying the ‘Black Beauty’ meteorite, which was found in the Sahara in 2011 and is known for its dark shiny hue. The meteorite contains mineral grains that formed on Mars about 4.45 billion years ago. The researchers analyzed the meteorite and discovered several unusual deformed zircon grains in it, which formed during their “upwelling” to the Martian surface.

Using nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy, elements such as iron, aluminum, yttrium and sodium were identified in the zircon. These elements are reported to be related to the presence of water during the period in which the zircon was formed. The zircon mineral contains geochemical signatures of fluids, including a significant amount of water, which formed as a result of contact between hot rocks and very hot liquid water on Mars.

“Colleagues believe that similar hydrothermal systems were a key ingredient for the origins of life on Earth,” added Dr. Cavosie added, as reported by The Sun.

The presence of these hydrothermal systems implies that Mars was likely habitable in the past, as hot water is believed to have been present in the form of hydrothermal vents heated by magma from beneath Mars’ crust.

Previous studies indicated that 4.1 billion years ago, Mars was a wet planet with rivers, lakes and even seas. However, two billion years later the planet dried up completely due to rapid cooling caused by atmospheric thinning under the influence of solar radiation.

The “Black Beauty” meteorite represents fragments of Mars’ primary crust that were ejected from the Martian surface about 5 to 10 million years ago.

Researchers were able to track the trajectory of the meteorite and accurately determine where it came from. This site was an impact crater called the Carraeta Crater, in honor of a region in Australia where some of the oldest rocks on Earth are often found.

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These discoveries not only shed light on the history of water on Mars, but also allow scientists to compare the oldest samples of rocks from Mars and Earth. The research conducted provides valuable insights into the early geological processes of Mars and their implications for habitability.

The presence of hot liquid water during early magmatic activity on Mars supports the idea that suitable conditions existed on the Red Planet for the emergence of life. In the distant past, the Martian environment may have had the potential to support extraterrestrial life in its ancient form.

The Sun, Gazeta.ru and Rossiyskaya Gazeta were among the websites that reported the finding.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq