Teghaza 001 meteorite reveals Mars history from 4.1 billion years ago

Scientists have identified a rare, 800-gram Martian meteorite named Teghaza 001 that dates back at least 4.1 billion years. Discovered in the Sahara Desert in Mali in 2022, the rose-colored rock provides a unique window into the earliest geological history of Mars.

Research published in the journal Science indicates the meteorite contains igneous minerals formed from cooling magma, which were subsequently altered by subsurface water. This interaction offers critical evidence regarding the planet’s ancient water cycles and atmospheric loss. Unlike many previously studied Martian meteorites that represent much younger periods, Teghaza 001 is one of only three known samples of this extreme antiquity.

Lead researcher Yang Liu of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory noted that the sample’s composition suggests it originates from a previously unsampled region of the Martian crust, likely the cratered southern highlands. One reviewer described the find as a “Rosetta Stone for Mars” due to its ability to decode the evolution of the planet’s interior, surface, and water systems.