Scientists find garnet in Martian meteorite for the first time
An international research team identified a new type of rock and the mineral garnet in a fragment of the NWA 8171 meteorite.
An international team of scientists has identified a new type of rock and the mineral garnet in a Martian meteorite fragment, according to the Times of India. The discovery was made during the analysis of the NWA 8171 meteorite, which is held in the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) collections.
The research was led by Brock University Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences Tanya Kizovski. While analysing the fragment, the team initially assumed the mineral was pyroxene, but further analysis using specialised equipment revealed it was garnet.
Kizovski stated that the garnet-bearing rock could provide clues regarding how Mars has changed through its history. She noted that the garnet could offer insights into ancient environments, suggesting the heat and pressure required for its formation may have come from magma rising into the crust or a meteorite impact.
The planetary origin of the rock remains unconfirmed. Kizovski cautioned that the rock might have been delivered to Mars by another meteorite, leaving the possibility of an extra-Martian origin open.
To determine if the garnet was produced on Mars, scientists need to study its isotopic signatures. Kizovski said measuring oxygen isotopes from the rock would help confirm its origin, though the process would destroy some of the rare sample.
ROM curator Kim Tait and Research Assistant Jessica Tomacic are continuing to study the sample with Professor James Darling of the University of Portsmouth. Kizovski said she hopes further work and comparisons with orbital data will reveal more about the history of garnet on Mars.