New Delhi: Indian scientists have identified Martian analogue sites in Tamil Nadu and Chile based on the presence of minerals that show geological, chemical and physical similarities with those found or inferred on Mars.
Two key minerals identified in areas of Tamil Nadu and the Atacama Desert in Chile have helped establish these locations as Martian analogue sites.
The findings highlight the importance of terrestrial analogue sites in planetary exploration and the study of Mars.
In the era of intense planetary exploration, identifying terrestrial analogue sites has become a pressing requirement, as recent studies demonstrate that orbital data alone cannot fully characterize Martian minerals.
High-precision, state-of-the-art analytical tools are essential for such investigations.
Advanced instrumentation, including a laser Raman spectrometer supported by the DST-FIST at the Department of Geology, University of Kerala, has helped identify melanterite in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, and gypsum in the Atacama Desert in Chile and the Tiruchirappalli Badlands, a semi-arid geological and paleoclimatic terrain in Tamil Nadu.
Both minerals are hydrous sulphates that record water–rock interactions, making these locations significant Martian analogue sites.
While gypsum preserves evidence of past aqueous environments, melanterite indicates transient wet, acidic and oxidizing conditions. These processes are relevant to those inferred on Mars.
The identification was carried out by a research team from the University of Kerala led by Dr. Sajin Kumar K.S., Project Coordinator, DST-FIST.
The DST-FIST-supported Laser Raman Spectrometer was used to detect the distinctive spectral fingerprints of the minerals and confirm their identification.
Melanterite provides evidence for short-lived wet conditions through sulphide oxidation, a process relevant to sulphate formation on Mars.
Gypsum, meanwhile, records past aqueous activity and can preserve biosignatures within its mineral matrix.
The findings from these Martian analogue sites provide useful terrestrial references for understanding past water activity and potentially habitable environments on Mars.
The research team has published the findings in two research papers in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, a leading journal on planetary science.
The team is now focusing on rare analogue sites in extreme conditions across different parts of the globe to understand primitive life for astrobiological studies, using the same facility.
Facilities supported by the DST-FIST can advance planetary science by improving understanding of past habitable environments on Mars and other planetary bodies.
Identifying minerals capable of recording water activity and preserving biosignatures can also help guide future planetary missions towards promising locations in the search for evidence of life beyond Earth.
The identification of Martian analogue sites in Tamil Nadu and the Atacama Desert demonstrates the relevance of terrestrial geological environments for planetary science research, particularly in studying mineral records of water activity and conditions that may have supported habitable environments on Mars.
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