A discovery by the University of Lausanne that could prove the existence of extraterrestrial life

Thanks to observations by Mars rovers and space probes, it has been known for decades that the planet Mars was once home to water, and probably rivers and lakes. Many questions remain, however, including when this precious liquid appeared in the history of Mars, UNIL said in a press release on Monday.

 

By analyzing the composition of a mineral - zircon - found in a Martian meteorite, scientists from UNIL, together with colleagues from Curtin University and the University of Adelaide in Australia, have succeeded in dating traces of water in the crust of Mars. According to the study, published in Science Advances, hydrothermal activity dates back 4.45 billion years, just 100 million years after the planet's formation.
 
“Our data suggest that there was water in the crust of Mars at a time comparable to the first traces of water on the Earth's surface, around 4.4 billion years ago,” comments Jack Gillespie, first author of the study and researcher at UNIL's Faculty of Geosciences and Environment.
 
This discovery provides new elements for understanding the planetary evolution of Mars, the processes that took place there and its potential to have harbored life, according to the authors.
 
The scientists worked on a small piece of meteorite NWA 7034 “Black Beauty”, discovered in the Sahara in 2011. “Black Beauty” originates from the Martian surface, and was thrown to earth during an impact on Mars some 5 to 10 million years ago. The analysis focused on zircon.