It’s possible that the early crust of Mars is more complicated than previously imagined and even resembles the early crust of our own planet.
Because of billions of years of volcanism and flowing lava on the surface that finally cooled, the surface of Mars is evenly basaltic. Scientists had assumed that Mars’ crustal history was a reasonably straightforward story because Mars did not experience extensive surface remodeling like the shifting of continents on Earth.
However, in a recent study, scientists discovered regions in the southern hemisphere of the Red Planet with higher quantities of silicon than would be anticipated in a strictly basaltic context. Space rocks that crashed into Mars have disclosed the silica concentration by removing material that was buried miles beneath the surface and exposing a secret past.
According to research co-author Valerie Payré, assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iowa, “there is more silica in the composition that makes the rocks not basalt, but what we call more advanced in composition.” “That indicates that the process through which the crust on Mars evolved was undoubtedly more intricate than we previously realized. Therefore, it is more important to comprehend that process, particularly what it entails for the origin of the Earth’s crust.
According to scientists, Mars was created 4.5 billion years ago. Although the exact origin of the Red Planet is unknown, there are speculations. One theory holds that Mars developed as a result of a massive collision of rocks in outer space, which produced a magma ocean, or completely liquefied condition, as a result of the great heat. According to the notion, the magma ocean progressively cooled, producing a crust that would be entirely basaltic.
Another hypothesis holds that not all of Mars’ original crust was formed by the magma ocean and that some of it originated from a source with a different silica composition than basalt.
The southern hemisphere of the planet, which prior studies had suggested was the oldest portion, was the subject of data analysis by Payré and her study associates from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The scientists discovered nine areas that were abundant in feldspar, a mineral connected to lava flows that are more silicic than basaltic, such as craters and terrain fractures.
This was the first hint, according to Payré. We looked at the silica concentrations there since the terrain is feldspar-rich.
Although feldspar had previously been discovered in other parts of Mars, further investigation revealed that those regions’ chemical makeup was more basaltic. However, this did not stop the researchers from using THEMIS, a different instrument that uses infrared-wavelength reflections from the Martian surface to measure silica concentrations. The scientists found the landscape at their selected locations was more silicic than basaltic, using data from THEMIS.
The discovery of meteorites like Erg Chech 002, found in the Sahara and roughly dated to the creation of the solar system, that exhibit similar silicic and other mineral compositions to those the scientists detected in the nine places on Mars, lends further support to their discoveries.
The crust was also estimated by the researchers to be 4.2 billion years old, making it the oldest crust yet discovered on Mars.
Payré claims that the discovery just somewhat astonished her.
Rocks that were more silicic than basaltic have been seen by rovers on the surface, she claims. “Consequently, theories suggested that the crust might be more silicic.” “But the early crust’s formation and age remain a mystery to us, and we have never known how ancient it is.”
Earth’s crustal history is even less evident than Mars’, as any remnants of our planet’s initial crust have been long destroyed due to the shifting of continental plates over billions of years. Mars’ crustal origin is still unknown. Even so, the discovery might shed light on Earth’s beginnings.
Payré claims, “We don’t even know when life originally started; we don’t even know when our planet’s crust was formed.” “Many believe there may be a connection between the two.” Therefore, knowing how the crust was in the distant past could help us comprehend the entire evolution of our planet.
As a postdoctoral researcher at Northern Arizona University, Payré carried out the study. The UI welcomed her in August.
Geophysical Research Letters published the work online on Nov. 4 under the title “An evolved early crust exposed on Mars revealed through spectroscopy.”
Northern Arizonan writers Mark Salvatore and Christopher Edwards have contributed.
The research was supported by NASA through the Mars Odyssey THEMIS project and the Participating Scientist Program for the Mars Science Laboratory.
