New information has challenged a long-held theory about the structure of Mars.
Scientists used to think the origin of the Martian crust was easy. The formation of the crust was thought to have taken place when a planet wide ocean of magma cooled. There is new research that shows certain areas of the Martian crust have a higher than expected amount of sand.
According to a statement from the University of Iowa, there is more silica in the composition that makes the rocks not basalt. The crust on Mars is more complex than we know.
Mars is made of something.
Payré and her team used data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to study the composition of the Martian crust in the south. Feldspar is associated with lava flows with high levels of silica.
One of the theories promoted by this discovery is that the crust formed in multiple phases, which is more complex than the cooling of a huge ocean.
Payré said that there have been rovers that have seen rocks that were more silicic than basaltic. There was an idea that the crust could be more porous. We don't know how the early crust was formed or how old it is.
More research is needed to uncover the mysteries and help scientists figure out what happened on Earth. Our planet's history is more complicated than that of Mars because of the activity of the earth's plates.
Payré said that they don't know when life first appeared. Many people think the two are related. Understanding what the crust was like a long time ago can help us understand our planet's evolution.
Last month, a new study was published in the journal.
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