A groundbreaking discovery from an international research team led by Purdue University (USA) has identified the existence of liquid water on Mars by analyzing the Lafayette meteorite.
This study was recently published in the journal Geochemical Perspective Letters, providing new insights into the geological history of the Red Planet.
Dr. Marissa Tremblay, the lead researcher from the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University, used rare gases such as helium, neon, and argon to study the physical and chemical processes that formed the surface of Earth and other planets. She noted that some meteorites from Mars contain minerals formed due to interactions with liquid water while still on the planet.
Lafayette Meteorite. (Photo: eaps.purdue.edu).
By dating these minerals in the Lafayette meteorite, scientists discovered that they formed approximately 742 million years ago. “We do not believe there was much liquid water on the surface of Mars at that time,” Dr. Tremblay explained.
“Instead, we think this water source came from the melting of permafrost beneath the surface, caused by volcanic activity that is still occurring periodically on Mars to this day.”
This research is particularly significant because it is the first time scientists have accurately pinpointed when liquid water existed on Mars.
Dr. Ryan Ickert, a co-author of the study and a senior scientist at Purdue University, emphasized that previous isotopic data used to estimate the timing of water-rock interactions on Mars may have been influenced by other processes.
The research team demonstrated that their results were not affected by other factors such as impacts when the meteorite left Mars, temperatures in space during its 11 million-year journey, or heating processes during its passage through Earth’s atmosphere.
The Lafayette Meteorite has a rather intriguing history
It was discovered in a… drawer at Purdue University in 1931, the reason for which remains unclear.
This is one of the few meteorites that can be directly traced back to Mars. Scientists determined that it was ejected from the Martian surface following an impact approximately 11 million years ago.
This was demonstrated through the analysis of isotopes produced by cosmic ray bombardment in space.
This new discovery not only enhances our understanding of Mars’ geological history but also opens new methods for studying other meteorites.
Dr. Tremblay stated: “We have demonstrated a reliable way to date altered minerals in meteorites. This method can be applied to other meteorites and celestial bodies to determine when liquid water may have been present.”
The research will continue to develop at Purdue University thanks to the Stahura University Meteorite Research Fund, allowing undergraduate students to participate in the geochemical and historical study of meteorites.
