Experts Find Evidence of Hot Springs on Ancient Mars Suited for Habitability, Leaves Them Stunned

For decades, scientists have been trying to uncover whether the mystifying Red Planet is feasible for habitation. Recent research from Curtin University on a Martian rock indicates that there could have been an ancient hot spring on Mars, Science Daily reported. According to researchers, this implies that at some point the planet possibly supported life.

The rock was discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2011, Space reported. It was a part of the well-known meteorite named NWA7034. The extraterrestrial boulder had a dark polished appearance which garnered it the nickname  "Black Beauty."

At the time of its discovery, the space rock was adjudged to be two billion years old making it the second oldest Martian meteorite found on Earth, Space reported. Recently scholars from Curtin University found a 4.45 billion-year-old zircon grain within the rock containing fluid fingerprints. 

The geochemical fingerprints indicate that Mars once was home to fluids rich in hot water, Science Daily reported. Researchers corresponded this with the process of life development that took place on Earth and concluded that Mars could have also served as a habitat for life forms because of similar occurrences.

"We used nano-scale geochemistry to detect elemental evidence of hot water on Mars 4.45 billion years ago," Dr Aaron Cavosie from Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences explained. "Hydrothermal systems were essential for the development of life on Earth and our findings suggest Mars also had water, a key ingredient for habitable environments, during the earliest history of crust formation."

Cavosie added that the Zircoin grain was analyzed using nano-scale imaging and spectroscopy to identify the specific elements present in the mineral, Space reported. The team found iron, aluminum, yttrium, and sodium in the fragment. "These elements were added as the zircon formed 4.45 billion years ago, suggesting water was present during early Martian magmatic activity," he said.

Researchers have previously speculated that early Mars contained water but never had solid evidence to back up their claims, Space reported. The study is one of the first times the assertions have found validity. Curtin University scholars hope that their work encourages more examinations related to the early Martian environment, and whether it had any alien presence.