Mars Hints at Brand-New Iron Sulfate Mineral in Canyon-Rim Deposits
Using orbital spectra from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and lab experiments, researchers propose the detection of ferric hydroxysulfate, a previously undocumented iron-sulfate mineral, in layered sulfate deposits near Valles Marineris. The mineral could form when hydrated ferrous sulfates are heated in oxygen-rich conditions, suggesting past water activity and geothermal processes altered Martian sulfates long after their original formation.