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According to a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications, the iron oxide that gives the Red Planet its name may contain water. This discovery confirms what scientists have long suspected, and it throws into question various assumptions about the environment on Mars billions of years ago.
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Furthermore, it must have formed later in Mars’ history, after the planet is believed to have had lakes and rivers on its surface.
These analyses did not detect any evidence of water, which led researchers to believe the type of iron oxide present on Mars was hematite.
Ferrihydrite differs from hematite in the sense that it forms in the presence of cool water.
Hematite is a dry mineral and a main component of iron ore. If the iron oxide on Mars is hematite, it most likely formed over the course of billions of years through interactions with the planet’s atmosphere.
It was moved about by strong Martian winds, the likes of which still kick up dust storms on the planet today.
Iron oxide exists on Mars because, at some point, the iron within the planet’s rocks reacted with water or with water and oxygen in the air.
According to a study published in February 2025 in Nature Communications, however, the iron oxide on Mars may actually be ferrihydrite.
Over billions of years, the iron oxide on Mars broke down into dust and settled across the planet.
Previous analyses of the iron oxide on Mars led researchers to believe that it was a dry mineral called hematite. According to new research, however, that may incorrect.
For those not familiar with the chemical processes that produce rust, this is largely the same process that forms rust here on Earth.
For the avoidance of doubt, the fact that Mars is red is not being contested. Rather, the new study offers a different explanation for why the planet is that color.
For years now, scientists have understood that the planet’s red color comes from rusted iron minerals in the dust that is found all over it.
Until this most recent study, the only analyses of the iron oxide on Mars were based solely on observations made by spacecraft.
Of all the planets in our solar system, Mars is one of the most studied. Its close proximity to Earth has made it an obvious choice for exploration over the past few decades.
Even among non-experts, Mars is known for being covered in dust and for having a sort of rusty hue. Indeed, it is often referred to as the "Red Planet."
The discovery of this type of iron oxide on Mars may change scientists’ understanding of what the planet was like billions of years ago.
Scientists have long since wondered about the exact composition of the iron oxide found on Mars.
However, it has historically been very difficult to examine because the particles are absolutely tiny (we’re talking nanometers or less).
The new study used data collected by various devices, including the European Space Agency’s Mars Express Orbiter and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.
The results of various complex analyses suggest evidence of water-rich minerals on even the dustiest areas of Mars.
According to the study’s authors, this discovery offers some interesting clues about the planet’s geologic and climate history.
For example, the presence of water-containing rust over large parts of Mars’ surface suggests that it may have been home to more liquid water than previously thought.
It is important to note that this recent study did not focus on exactly when Mars’ ferrihydrite reserves were formed.
However, on the basis that the mineral forms in cool water, researchers believe that it may have formed around three billion years ago.
This is as opposed to millions of years before, when the planet would have been warmer and wetter.
According to the study’s authors, around three billion years ago the conditions on Mars were favorable for the creation of ferrihydrite.
Indeed, this was a period of intense volcanic activity that likely triggered ice-melting events and interactions between water and rock.
Scientists therefore believe that the ferrihydrite formed during a period when Mars was transitioning from its earlier, wetter state to its current dry environment.
Researchers believe that in addition to being in the dust, ferrihydrite may also be present in the layers of Martian rock.
There are plans to examine samples and hopefully broaden even further our understanding of the history of water, and therefore life, on Mars.
Sources: (CNN)
See also: Is there a mysterious ninth planet in our solar system?
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According to a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications, the iron oxide that gives the Red Planet its name may contain water. This discovery confirms what scientists have long suspected, and it throws into question various assumptions about the environment on Mars billions of years ago.
Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.