December 16, 2022
Researchers at the University of Iowa, USA, have learnt that the original crust on the surface of Mars is more evolved than what scientists previously thought. Lava flowed on the surface of Mars because of numerous volcanic eruptions that occurred over billions of years. This lava caused the surface of the planet to become uniformly basaltic.
After analysing data gathered by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, scientists found that some locations in Mars’ southern hemisphere had greater concentrations of the chemical element silicon than what was expected in a basaltic environment. This indicates that the original surface of Mars could have been like the first crust of Earth. Believed to be around 4.2 billion years old, this crust is the oldest crust found on Mars. This study will help scientists determine the evolution of both Mars and Earth.
Did You Know?
Mars takes 687 Earth days to revolve around the sun.
