Mars surface is uniform basalt , the final cooling of lava for billions of years of volcanic activity and surface flow. Since Mars did not undergo a comprehensive surface reshaping like the movement of continents on Earth, scientists believe that Mars' crust history is a relatively simple story.
But in a new study, researchers found that in the southern hemisphere of the red planet, the concentration of silicon (a chemical element ) is higher than expected in a pure basalt environment. silica concentration is exposed by space rocks that hit Mars, the material buried several miles below the surface, revealing a hidden past.
Assistant Professor of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iowa and corresponding author of the study Valerie Perrey said: "There is more silica in the composition, making rocks not just basalt, but other components. This tells us how the crust on Mars is formed, which is certainly more complex than we know. So, it is more important to understand this process, especially its significance for the initial formation of the Earth's crust."
scientists believe that Mars was formed 4.5 billion years ago. It is a mystery how this red planet was formed, but there are some theories. One view is that Mars is formed by a huge collision of rocks in space, which is accompanied by strong heat and produces a state of complete liquefaction, also known as the magma ocean. Theoretically, the magma ocean gradually cools down, forming a layer of earth's crust, like a layer of skin, which would be a peculiar basalt.
Another theory is that the magma ocean is not all-encompassing, and the part of the first crust on Mars has different origins, which suggests that silica concentration is different from basalt.
Perre and her research partners analyzed data collected by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the planet's southern hemisphere, and previous studies have shown that the region is the oldest. The researchers found nine feldspar-rich locations, such as craters and cracks in the terrain, a mineral associated with lava flows that has higher siliceous content than basalt.
Feldspar has been found in other areas of Mars, but further analysis shows that the chemical composition of these areas is more basalt. This did not discourage the researchers, and they turned to another instrument called THEMIS, which can detect silica concentrations through infrared wavelength reflections on the surface of Mars. Based on data from THEMIS, the team determined that the topography of their selected location was more siliceous than basalt.
meteorite found in Sahara , whose age can be roughly traced to the birth of the solar system, shows similar siliceous and other mineral components to the team observed at nine locations on Mars, further demonstrating their observations. The researchers also identified the crust as about 4.2 billion years old, which would make it the oldest crust found on Mars to date.
The rover on the Mars surface observed that siliceous rocks were higher than basalt. Therefore, some people think that the crust may be more silic. But we never knew, and still did not know how the early crust formed, or how old it was, so it was still a mystery.
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