Mars's red dust explained by new findings

Researchers may have finally understood why Mars appears red. The discovery comes from analyzing dust buried deep in an Antarctic ice core, which revealed new iron minerals that could explain the planet's distinctive red color and magnetic properties.

Chemical process links ice core to Martian dust

The same chemical process that created these minerals in the ice core could also explain the red and magnetic nature of Martian dust. This finding challenges previous assumptions that a long warm and humid period was necessary for such a process.

Ice core from Antarctica provides clues

The ice core was drilled on Roosevelt Island, part of the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. It contains layers of snow, gases, and dust from different time periods, offering a historical record of environmental conditions.

Study analyzes deep ice layers

Scientists led by Luca Lanci from the University of Urbino analyzed hundreds of individual grains from depths between 300 and 750 meters. They found aggregated dust particles covered with crystals, including rare minerals like jarosite, which are common on Mars but rare on Earth.

Minerals found in Antarctic ice match Martian samples

Among the minerals, jarosite and goethite were identified, along with hematite or magnetite. Researchers described these findings as a "mosaic of micro-environments," highlighting the complexity of the chemical processes involved.

Mars's magnetic dust confirmed by rover data

In 2004, NASA's Opportunity rover found that Martian dust was magnetic. A 2025 study suggested ferrihydrite, a water-containing iron oxide, could explain the red color. The new research adds a chemical process involving sulfates as an additional explanation.

Future Mars missions to test hypothesis

To confirm their findings, the researchers developed a test to be used in future Mars missions. If correct, Martian dust should contain igneous rock cores covered by iron oxides closely linked to sulfates.