Detection of ferrihydrite in Martian red dust records ancient cold and wet conditions on Mars

Published in Nature Communications · View the paper (DOI)

New analysis of spacecraft observations and laboratory techniques reveals that Mars's red colour is better matched by ferrihydrite, an iron oxide containing water. This discovery transforms our understanding of why Mars is red and suggests that the planet rusted earlier than previously thought.

Detection of ferrihydrite in Martian red dust records ancient cold and wet conditions on Mars

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