Scientists discovered evidence of tridymite on Mars based on the analysis of data sent back by NASA's Curiosity rover. Tridymite is a mineral associated with volatile volcanoes on Earth.
What the Curiosity rover unearthed on Mars has the potential to rewrite what we know about the red planet so far.
"It's really nifty, but we were shocked ... There's no evidence for plate tectonics on Mars. That's why it's such a surprise to find this tridymite," said lead researcher Richard Morris, who is also a geochemist at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Unlike Earth, Mars doesn't have shifting plates that result in volatile volcanoes and massive earthquakes. This led planetary scientists to claim that Mars' geological history is tame when compared to our own.
Prior to the discovery of tridymite, the volcanic evidence they found on Mars was more of the steady flowing kind: basaltic volcanoes similar to those that formed the islands of Hawaii. This suggested that the Martian volcanoes formed as a result of the melting hot mantle plumes found below the planet's surface.
Lava from basaltic volcanoes is rich in iron and magnesium and low in silica. The discovery of tridymite - which is formed when silica-rich lava from explosive, silicic volcanoes recrystallizes after exposure to water and extremely hot temperatures - could therefore reshape what we know about Mars' ancient history.
Tridymite Discovery
NASA's Curiosity rover has been exploring the Gale Crater on the red planet for several years now. In 2015, the rover started to explore and dig for samples in an area called Marias Pass.
The Earth-based team first noted that the rocks' appearance suggested the presence of silica. When the team subjected the rock samples to an X-ray analysis, the results showed very high levels of tridymite.
The research team speculated that the mineral was likely created somewhere on the red planet and somehow ended up in the crater basin. The scientists factored in findings from early research that suggested water used to fill some parts of the crater.
This followed that the red planet's ancient streams and rivers that flowed from distant places could have brought materials that may have been formed or ejected by explosive Martian volcanoes.
The discovery led to more questions, one of which was how did those volcanoes form without plate tectonics?
Morris added that silicic volcanism on the red planet would "turn people's thinking around quite a bit."
The scientific community will now come up with several studies that will analyze ways on how tridymite can geologically form in basaltic environments and lower temperatures.
The curious findings were released in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
