A mineral rare to earth discovered on Mars
If you are someone who takes keen interest in what’s happening in the outer space, then you are probably aware of NASA’s Mars Exploration Programme. Now, as part of this expedition, the US space agency’s famous Curiosity rover had brought back a concentrated chunk of rare mineral quartz, back in 2016. Over the years, this discovery has left the scientists puzzled, until they finally solved it recently. Turns out, this exquisite mineral is called tridymite and was formed by a Martian volcanic eruption. Here’s more about this fascinating finding that was published in the scientific journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
Tridymite was found in an ancient lake bed of Mars
According to the team of planetary scientists from Rice University, NASA’s Johnson Space Centre and the Californica Institute of Technology, tridymite is a type of quartz or a form of silica that is almost impossible to trace on Earth. Why? Because it requires extreme temperatures alongside low pressure to form. Now, that brings us to the next question, how did it land up on the Red Planet?
Scientists found tridymite in an ancient lake bed in the Gale crater region of Mars, on top of a mudstone. It ended up there a result of a volcanic eruption that happened almost a billion years ago. And guess what? Back then, the crater was still very much filled with water.
Curiosity rover and its amazing findings
Following this discovery, the scientist community has concluded that Mars has both complex and fascinating volcanic history. They consider this new finding as one of the most amazing observations by the Curiosity rover in the past decade. Here is why.
Offers better clarity on the geological history of Mars: Okay, what does this even mean? Now more than ever, geologists know the Mars was a centre of extreme and explosive volcanisms, billions of years ago. They also assume that this was the time when the planet transitioned from a wet and warm world to a dry and barren region, as we know today. What’s more, those primitive volcanic eruptions of Mars had the power of forming highly explosive minerals (like tridymite) that require extremely high temperature.
Sheds light on the formation of tridymite: One question that kept the team of researchers confused is how tridymite was formed on the Red Planet. Looks like they have found the answers after all. After a detailed analysis of the volcanic models of Mars, volcanic materials and other sedimentary evidence that had been collected by the Curiosity rover, the geologists have now concluded that the formation of tridymite on Mars was the result of a process called fractional crystallization. In this process, substances can be refined based on differences in their solubility. Are you confused? Well, let’s make it a bit simple for you. Magma on Mars had sat longer than usual in a chamber, just below a volcano, which, in turn allowed it to cool down partially. As a result, the silicon concentration in the magma got enhanced.
What happened next is simply fascinating. When the said volcano erupted, it spewed out volcanic materials, including that extra silicon that had turned into tridymite, thanks to high temperature and low pressure, something that we all know happens during volcanic activity. It also turns out that the water in the lake further helped break down the tridymite through chemical weathering.