How the 'Black Beauty' of Sahara helped scientists determine hot water existed on the Red Planet

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

The findings were published in the journal Science Advances.

"Hydrothermal systems played a critical role in the development of life on Earth. Our research shows that on Mars, water—a key component for habitable environments—was present very early on," Dr. Aaron Cavosie from Curtin University's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences stated.

The team made the discovery while studying the "Black Beauty" meteorite, which was found in the Sahara Desert in 2011 and is known for its dark glossy hue. The meteorite contains mineral grains that originated on Mars approximately 4.45 billion years ago. The researchers analyzed the meteorite and discovered several unusual deformed zircon grains inside it, which formed during their "upwelling" to the surface of Mars.

Using nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy, elements such as iron, aluminum, yttrium, and sodium were identified in the zircon. These elements are associated with the presence of water during the period when the zircon formed, reported. 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 emergence of life on Earth," 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 springs heated by magma from under Mars's 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 completely dried up due to rapid cooling caused by atmospheric thinning under the influence of solar radiation.

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

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

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 conducted research 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 for the emergence of life existed on the Red Planet. Thus, in the distant past, the Martian environment may have held the potential to support alien life in its ancient form.

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

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq