Hematite Found on Earth in 19th Century Opens Possibility of Former Life, Water on Mars

The Red Planet is now an arid place with only rocks and craters found. However, scientists believe that it might not have always been like that. Water on Mars could still be flowing, but that does not mean that it is easy to spot.

Scientists have studied for years what happened to the water on the Red Planet and where it went. Currently, researchers believe that Martian rocks could be a reservoir for water as observed on the Earthly rocks found in the 19th century.

Earthly Rocks From 19th Century Contained Water

As reported by Space.com, a study from Penn State University discovered that Earthly rocks found in the 19th century could hold clues where to find water on Mars.

Hematite is one of the most common iron minerals on Earth, found in many igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Due to its high iron content, the rock appears a vibrant red color.

Peter J. Heaney and a doctoral student named Si Athena Chen found that the hematite samples from the 19th century contain water.

It was a serendipitous discovery after Chen was artificially crystallizing hematite; she found an iron-poor compound from the rocks.

The two researchers looked up their findings and found that scholars from the mid-1800s, Rudolf Hermann and August Breithaupt, reported similar findings but were dismissed.

In the 1840s, Hermann and Breithaupt reported separate discoveries of iron-poor hematite that contained water. Hermann described his discovery as 'turgite' in 1844, while Breithaupt called the mineral 'hydrohematite' in 1847.

However, early 20th century mineralogists debunked the two scientists' claims using the primitive versions of modern diagnostic tools.

Chen and Heaney reexamined the samples stored at the Smithsonian Institution using infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and other more sophisticated methods.

They discovered that the minerals do not have iron atoms. Instead, they have hydroxyl atoms, a combination of hydrogen and oxygen that translates to water stored in the rocks.

ALSO READ: Mars Had More Water Before There Was Life On Earth, Ancient Meteorite Shows

Earthly Rocks Hold Clues for Water on Mars

Science Daily reported that researchers recently proposed in a paper published in the journal Geology that hydrohematite is commonly seen in low-temperature occurrences of iron oxide on Earth. This means that there is a large quantity of water in arid planetary environments, such as Mars.

Chen said that temperatures below 300 degrees Fahrenheit in a watery, alkaline environment, provide for the hydrohematite to precipitate out and form sedimentary layers.

According to a study titled "Fate of Water on Mars: New Science Paper Discovers Drying of Mars Caused by Hydration of the Crust," published in Science, the water on Mars met an atmospheric exodus and geological entrapment wherein 30% to 99% was incorporated in the Red Planet's crust while the rest escaped into space.

As reported by the news outlet, researchers speculate that since Mars is a red planet and NASA's Opportunity rover found hematite in 2004, it seems reasonable to think that the bright red pebbles on Mars are hydrohematite, which contains water.

This provides another evidence that Mars was once a watery planet and perhaps hosted life like Earth as water is one compound for any living thing to survive.