Teghaza 001 meteorite reveals 4.1 billion year old Martian crust

Scientists have identified a rose-colored meteorite found in the Sahara Desert as a 4.1 billion year old fragment of the Martian crust. Named Teghaza 001 after the salt plain in Mali where it was discovered in 2022, the specimen consists of eight fragments weighing approximately 800 grams.

Research published in the journal Science, led by Yang Liu of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, indicates that the meteorite is one of the three oldest Martian samples ever found on Earth. The rock is a coarse-grained igneous rock known as gabbro, which formed from cooling magma and was subsequently altered by the presence of water.

Analysis of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes suggests that liquid water interacted with the Martian subsurface during the planet's earliest geological stages. This discovery provides a rare snapshot of ancient Mars, suggesting the planet was significantly warmer and wetter than its current arid state, potentially offering environments suitable for microbial life.