Analysis of a meteorite found in the Sahara Desert revealed the presence of water on Mars 4.4 billion years ago, the metallic composition of the Mars meteorite NWA 7533, which was found in 2012 reveals chemical signatures of oxidation, which occurs when water forms, and the meteorite, weighing 84 grams, partly named after its landing point in northwest Africa, was part of A celestial rock shattered upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere.-
According to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, it is well known to planetary scientists that water has existed on the red planet for at least 3.7 billion years.
But given the previously determined age of NWA 7533 and its newly discovered mineral composition, the researchers now inferred that there was water present 700,000 more years before this estimate.
If there was water on Mars earlier than thought, this indicates that the water may be a natural byproduct of some processes early in the planet’s formation.
This could help answer the question about the source of the water, which in turn could influence theories about the origins of life beyond Earth.
Scientists revealed in 2013 that NWA 7533 was 4.4 million years old, making it the oldest Martian meteorite in existence.
“Our NWA 7533 samples underwent four different types of spectroscopy and chemical fingerprint detection methods, and we found strong evidence of magma oxidation,” said study lead Professor Takashi Mikuchi at the University of Tokyo.
Volcanic rocks, or fragmented rocks in a meteorite, are formed from magma and are usually caused by shock and oxidation. This oxidation can occur if there was water present on or in the crust of Mars 4.4 billion years ago.
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