DNVN - An international research team led by Purdue University (USA) has made a breakthrough discovery about when liquid water once appeared on Mars through analysis of the Lafayette meteorite.
Image of the Lafayette meteorite. Photo: eaps.purdue.edu
The study, recently published in the journal Geochemical Perspective Letters, offers new insights into geological processes on the red planet.
Dr. Marissa Tremblay, lead author of the study and a professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University, uses noble gases such as helium, neon and argon to study the physical and chemical processes that shape the surface of Earth and other planets. She said some meteorites from Mars contain minerals that were formed by interactions with liquid water while still on the planet’s surface.
By dating the minerals in the Lafayette meteorite, scientists found that it formed 742 million years ago. "We don't think there was much liquid water on the surface of Mars at that time," Dr. Tremblay said, explaining: "Instead, we think the water may have come from melting subsurface permafrost, which is influenced by the volcanic activity that continues on Mars to this day."
What makes the study unique is that it is the first time scientists have been able to pinpoint exactly when liquid water appeared on Mars. Dr. Ryan Ickert, co-author of the study and senior scientist at Purdue University, emphasized that previous isotope data used to determine the time of interaction between water and rocks on Mars may have been affected by other processes.
The team confirmed that this result was not affected by external factors such as the impact when the meteorite left Mars, or the temperature in space during the 11 million years of travel, or the heat when the meteorite passed through Earth's atmosphere.
The history of the Lafayette meteorite is quite interesting. In 1931, it was discovered in a drawer at Purdue University with no known origin. It is one of the few meteorites whose origins can be directly traced to Mars. Scientists determined that the Lafayette meteorite was ejected from the surface of Mars by an impact that occurred about 11 million years ago. This was confirmed by analyzing isotopes created by cosmic ray bombardment in space.
The new discovery not only sheds new light on the geological history of Mars, but also introduces a new method for analysing other meteorites. "We have demonstrated a reliable way to date the alteration minerals in meteorites," said Dr Tremblay. "This method can be applied to other meteorites and celestial bodies to determine when liquid water may have existed."
The research will continue to be developed at Purdue University through the Stahura Undergraduate Meteorite Research Fund, which supports undergraduate students engaged in studies of meteorite geochemistry and history.
Ganoderma (t/h)
Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/xac-dinh-thoi-diem-nuoc-long-xuat-hien-tren-sao-hoa-nho-nghien-cuu-thien-thach-lafayette/20241114085315683
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