Meteorite found in Sahara Desert identified as ancient Mars rock

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 19:09 · Archive

A meteorite found in Mali in 2022 has been confirmed as a 4.1-billion-year-old piece of Mars.

A meteorite found in the Sahara Desert in Mali in 2022 has been confirmed as a 4.1-billion-year-old piece of Mars. Named Teghaza 001 after the salt plain where it was discovered, the nearly two-pound meteorite is one of only three genuinely ancient Martian rocks known on Earth. Previous ancient Martian meteorites provided limited information about the planet's history, but Teghaza 001 reveals how Mars' crust formed from cooling magma and was subsequently altered by water on the planet's surface.

NASA scientists verified the meteorite's Martian origin by comparing its chemical and mineral composition to data from the agency's Martian missions. The rock contains a unique mix of volcanic minerals, including zircon crystals matching samples observed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in Mars' southern highlands. Researchers used a pioneering age-dating method developed with help from Caltech geochemistry professor Francis Tissot, analysing a piece smaller than a fingernail to determine precise ages of individual mineral grains.

Yang Liu, lead author of the study at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, described the meteorite as a 'Rosetta Stone for Mars' because of what it reveals about the planet's ancient crust and formation. Ars Technica notes that most Martian meteorites found on Earth are 2.4 billion years old or younger, making genuinely ancient rocks exceptionally rare. Liu suggested that weak rocks may not survive the violent impacts needed to launch them from Mars' gravity, creating a bias in the meteorite collection available for study.

How it is being reported

• Rare meteorite from Mars gives us a view into its ancient crustA meteorite found in the Sahara is a rare piece of Mars' ancient crust.Ars Technica · 30 Oct, 18:13
• Meteorite found in the Sahara Desert turns out to be piece of MarsA meteorite found in the Sahara Desert has been determined to be 4.1 billion years old and from Mars.CBS News · 30 Oct, 15:09

In this story: Mars · Sahara Desert · Mali · NASA · Yang Liu · Francis Tissot · Jet Propulsion Laboratory · Caltech

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