Ancient Mars meteorite found in Sahara suggests water and possible life

A rare meteorite discovered in the Sahara desert in Mali in 2022 is providing new insight into the early history of Mars. The rock, named Teghaza 001, is at least 4.1 billion years old and is considered the oldest of 435 known Martian meteorites found on Earth.

The meteorite was found in eight pieces about 34 kilometers from the village of Bir Salim in Mali. The largest fragment is roughly the size of a human fist.

“The meteorite is a witness to an era when Mars was likely warmer and wetter than most of its later history.”

Scientists identified the rock as gabbro, an igneous rock formed when magma cools and crystallizes slowly. Its main minerals are pyroxene and olivine, and it also contains zircon crystals that incorporate uranium.

Researchers determined its age using radiometric dating based on the radioactive decay of uranium into lead over time. The results place its formation in the Martian crust at least 4.1 billion years ago, during the early stages of the planet's geological evolution.

The meteorite's chemistry indicates interaction with water during slow cooling and crystallization in the Martian subsurface. This supports the view that conditions on Mars may have been favorable for the development of microbial life.

Jiang Liu, a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory managed by Caltech, described the meteorite as a witness to an era when Mars was likely warmer and wetter than most of its later history.

Mars is now cold, dry, and barren, but evidence suggests water existed on its surface in the form of rivers, lakes, and possibly an ocean in its northern hemisphere billions of years ago.