An analysis of a Martian meteorite found in Africa in 2012 has allowed researchers to find evidence of volcanic activity on Mars in the past. This confirms the theory that the Red Planet is home to some of the longest living volcanoes in the solar system.
Tom Lapin, professor of geology at the University of Houston and lead author of a February 1 article in Science, is confident that the discovery provides new clues to understanding volcanic activity on Mars.
Much of what we know about the rock composition of volcanoes on Mars is believed to come from meteorites found on Earth. Analysis of various substances contains information about the age of the meteorite, its magma source, the length of time spent in space and how long the meteorite was on the surface of the Earth.
Theoretical hypotheses claim that something crashed into the surface of Mars 1 million years ago, hitting a volcano or lava on the plain. Such an impact threw a huge mass of Martian soil into space, which, in the form of meteorites, crossed the Earth's orbit and fell onto the surface of our planet.
An analysis of the Northwest Africa 7635 meteorite discovered in 2012 revealed a type of volcanic rock called shergotite. In total, eleven similar Martian meteorites were found with similar characteristics, chemical composition and ejection time.
“We see they came from the same volcanic source,” Lapen said. 'Given the fact that they have the same ejection time, we can conclude that they come from the same place on Mars.'
Lapin noted that collectively these meteorites provide information about a single location on Mars. Previously, the analyzed meteorites were estimated to be between 327 million and 600 million years old. However, the meteorite that Lapen's research team analyzed was formed 2.4 billion years ago, suggesting that it was once part of one of the longest-lived volcanic sites in the solar system.
Sources: phys
