Scientists may have discovered a brand-new mineral on Mars

Image:
Aram Chaos. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona.

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A new study published in Nature Communications reports the detection of an iron sulfate on Mars that may represent a previously unknown mineral. Sulfur is abundant on Mars and commonly combines with other elements to create sulfate minerals. On Earth, most sulfates dissolve easily in rainwater. Mars, however, is extremely dry, allowing these minerals to persist for billions of years and preserve evidence of ancient environmental conditions.

Each mineral has its own crystal structure and physical properties. Familiar examples include gypsum and hematite. Scientists analyze data from orbiting spacecraft to identify minerals on the Martian surface and reconstruct the environmental conditions that produced them. For nearly two decades, researchers have been puzzled by layered iron sulfates on Mars that show unusual spectral signals. A new investigation led by Dr. Janice Bishop, senior research scientist at the SETI Institute and NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, has now identified and characterized an uncommon ferric hydroxysulfate phase. The team combined laboratory experiments with orbital observations of Mars to better understand these materials. Their results provide new clues about the roles of heat, water, and chemical reactions in shaping the Martian landscape.