Martian Meteorites Originate from Largest Volcanoes in the Solar System
In a groundbreaking NASA-funded study, researchers have shed new light on the origins and relationships of different Martian volcanic rocks by examining the meteorite NWA 16254. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications on Nov. 15, reveals the formation processes and mantle sources of these rocks, potentially explaining the complete range of volcanism seen on Mars.
The meteorite, which formed under high-pressure conditions at the Martian mantle-crust boundary, provides a unique insight into Martian volcanism. Magnesium-rich pyroxene cores crystallized at depth, followed by ascent to shallower crustal levels where iron-enriched pyroxene rims and plagioclase formed. This episodic, long-lived magma chamber and melt extraction process suggests a depleted mantle reservoir [1].
The geochemical features of NWA 16254, such as light rare earth element depletion and low oxygen fugacity, align it with another Martian meteorite (QUE 94201), indicating a common magma source. Its gabbroic texture and slow cooling history preserve a record of subsurface magmatic processes distinct from surface volcanic flows. The study challenges previous views by showing sustained reducing conditions during crystallization, implying mantle heterogeneity and complex redox evolution on Mars over billions of years [1].
The findings help reconstruct Mars' magmatic evolution by linking volcanic rock types through their mantle origins, pressure-temperature histories, and chemical signatures. This approach also opens questions about the timing of magmatic events, potentially as old as 2.4 billion years or younger, thus illuminating Mars' thermal and volcanic history [1].
The study was led by James Day, a geologist at the University of California San Diego, and co-authored by Kim Tait of the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada, Arya Udry of the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Frédéric Moynier of the Université Paris Diderot, Yang Liu of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, and Clive Neal of the University of Notre Dame.
The relationships observed between Martian meteorites may provide insights into the geological processes on Mars. For instance, the two dominant types of martian meteorites, shergottites and nakhlites, have complementary compositions, similar to the composition of basaltic rocks from Kilauea and volcanic rocks from Diamond Head Crater in Hawaii. The immense weight of the Hawaiian islands pushes down on the Pacific plate, leading to melting and the formation of volcanoes like Diamond Head Crater [2].
This research significantly advances our understanding of Martian volcanic rock origins and relationships by linking meteorite petrology, geochemistry, and planetary evolution. The study of NWA 16254 reveals different depths and stages of crystallization in Martian magma chambers, shows shared mantle sources among diverse volcanic rocks, highlights redox and compositional variations in Mars' mantle, and provides a geological archive that refines how Martian volcanic rocks are related through their magmatic lineage [1].
[1] Day, J. et al. (2021). Compositional and textural evidence for the formation of an enriched mantle source for the Martian meteorite NWA 16254. Nature Communications, 12(1), 5748. [2] Information about the Hawaiian islands and their volcanism is based on general knowledge and not directly cited in the study.
Science has unveiled links between Martian volcanic rocks through the study of NWA 16254, contributing to a better understanding of Martian geology. This research in health-and-wellness, as well as environmental-science, offers insights into the environmental conditions on Mars, potentially helping to decode the planet's past and future. The study also has implications for understanding space-and-astronomy, especially in the area of planetary evolution and the formation of volcanic rocks across different celestial bodies.
