Scientists discover new mineral on Mars

Iron hydroxysulfate is a new piece of the puzzle in the ongoing effort to understand the Red Planet.

Scientists have made an interesting discovery on Mars: a new mineral called iron hydroxysulfate. The name is difficult to pronounce, but its implications are exciting. This particular mineral suggests a water-rich, chemically active past for the Red Planet.

This time, the discovery was not made by a rover, but by a team of researchers from the SETI Institute who analyzed data collected by Mars Orbiter, a spacecraft that celebrated 15 years of success high above Mars a few years ago.

After the data from Mars Orbiter was collected, scientists used a technique to analyze the light reflected from the planet’s surface. This technique, called spectroscopy, helps us identify the chemical composition of minerals from a distance. It is one of the methods used to assess the composition of distant planets.

Once the results were in, scientists realized they were looking at something new: iron hydroxysulfate, a mineral that had never before been observed on Mars. Why is this important? This particular mineral forms in the presence of water, iron, and sulfur. All of these ingredients suggest that Mars once had conditions suitable for chemical processes similar to those in the early days of Earth. This means that Mars may once have been capable of supporting life.

The discovery of iron hydroxysulfate (Fe3+SO4OH) on Mars is the result of years of detailed research led by Dr. Janis Bishop and her team at the SETI Institute. Their work focused on analyzing a complex and geologically rich part of the planet known as Valles Marineris, a network of canyons and valleys near the Martian equator. The team used an instrument called CRISM (Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars), which analyzes how sunlight reflects off the planet’s surface.

While reviewing the data collected by CRISM, scientists noticed unique light signals in two specific areas of the canyon system: Juventae Chasma and Aram Chaos. To better understand what they were observing, SETI researchers compared the data from Mars with minerals on Earth that form in acidic, water-rich environments. This comparison helped them identify the match. They observed a previously undiscovered mineral on Mars, iron hydroxysulfate.

The common sulfates found on Mars form when minerals interact with sulfur (and sometimes water) in acidic conditions. Iron hydroxysulfate, however, also requires oxygen and temperatures above 100°C, which is much higher than the surface temperature of Mars. This means that the main culprits for the formation of sulfates are the planet’s volcanic and geothermal activity. From this, scientists conclude that the change in Mars’ minerals occurred over the last 3 billion years, during the so-called Amazonian period. The results were published in the scientific journal Nature on August 5, 2025. The results were published in the scientific journal Nature on August 5, 2025.

He discovered unusually high levels of aluminum, which probably originated from the mineral kaolinite. He discovered unusually high levels of aluminum, which likely came from the mineral kaolinite. This particular mineral, just like iron hydroxysulfate, requires a very warm and humid environment to form.

The presence of iron hydroxysulfate and kaolinite indicates that Mars was once much warmer, wetter, and more complex than scientists had previously thought. At some point in its history, it may have been much more similar to Earth.

NASA has long been searching for signs of possible life on Mars, and it seems that with the discovery of this new mineral, we are one step closer to proving that the Red Planet once supported life. However, it is possible that Mars could support life in the future, thanks to increasing discoveries of water on the planet. Perhaps one day it will even be suitable for human presence, but for now, scientists are focusing on understanding the planet’s past environment.

Regions such as Juventae Chasma and Aram Chaos, where the new mineral was discovered, could be potential high-priority targets for in-depth surface exploration. In other words, iron hydroxysulfate is a new piece of the puzzle in the ongoing effort to understand the Red Planet. | BGNES

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