Mars meteorite ‘Black Beauty’ reveals evidence of early water

An international team of scientists has discovered new evidence that water was present in the Martian crust during the planet's early history. The findings, published in the journal ‘Geophysical Research Letters’, are based on the analysis of the Martian meteorite NWA 7034, also known as ‘Black Beauty’.

While the meteorite does not contain liquid water, researchers identified minerals and compounds rich in hydrogen within its interior. These were created through ancient chemical reactions between water and rocks. The meteorite, which is approximately 4.5 billion years old, was ejected from Mars by a massive impact and later landed in the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

Using a combination of X-ray and neutron tomography, scientists analyzed a tiny sample measuring 12 by 8 by 2 millimeters. This non-destructive method allowed them to create a three-dimensional image of the interior. While X-rays revealed the distribution of heavier elements like iron and silicon, neutron analysis successfully detected hydrogen. The hydrogen traces were concentrated in the oldest fragments of the rock, accounting for about 11 percent of the total water bound in the minerals of the analyzed sample. Researchers suggest that volcanic activity or intense impacts may have introduced water into the young Martian crust.