Direct evidence of hydrous fluids on early Mars is crucial for understanding the origin of water, surface processes, and habitability on rocky planets, but it’s difficult to obtain from martian meteorites.
A new research by Curtin University has uncovered what could be the oldest direct evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars, suggesting the planet may have been habitable in the past. The study analyzed a 4.45 billion-year-old zircon grain from the Martian meteorite NWA7034, also known as Black Beauty, and discovered geochemical ‘fingerprints’ indicating the presence of water-rich fluids.
Study co-author Dr Aaron Cavosie from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences said the discovery opened up new avenues for understanding ancient Martian hydrothermal systems associated with magmatism, as well as the planet’s past habitability.
“We used nano-scale geochemistry to detect elemental evidence of hot water on Mars 4.45 billion years ago.”
“Hydrothermal systems were essential for the development of life on Earth and our findings suggest Mars also had water, a key ingredient for habitable environments, during the earliest history of crust formation.”
“Through nano-scale imaging and spectroscopy, the team identified element patterns in this unique zircon, including iron, aluminium, yttrium and sodium. These elements were added as the zircon formed 4.45 billion years ago, suggesting water was present during early Martian magmatic activity.”
The research revealed that despite massive meteorite impacts that caused significant surface upheaval, water was present on Mars during the early Pre-Noachian period, before about 4.1 billion years ago. A 2022 Curtin study of the same zircon grain had identified it as the first and only known shocked zircon from Mars.
The new study advances our understanding of early Mars by uncovering geochemical markers of water-rich fluids present when the grain formed, offering insights into the oldest known Martian crust.
Journal Reference:
- Jack Gillespie, Aaron Cavosie et al. Zircon trace element evidence for early hydrothermal activity on Mars. Science Advances. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq3694