PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New study unveils volcanic history and clues to ancient life on Mars

The proof may be in the pudding, but according to a Texas A&M University geologist, when it comes to ancient life on the Red Planet, the proof is in the rocks.

2025-04-18
(Press-News.org) In a groundbreaking study co-authored by a Texas A&M University scientist, researchers have revealed new insights into the geological history of Mars' Jezero Crater, the landing site of NASA’s Perseverance rover. Their findings suggest that the crater's floor is composed of a diverse array of iron-rich volcanic rocks, providing a window into the planet’s distant past and the closest chance yet to uncover signs of ancient life.

Research scientist Dr. Michael Tice, who studies geobiology and sedimentary geology in the Texas A&M College of Arts and Sciences, is part of an international team exploring the surface of Mars. He and his co-authors published their findings in Science Advances.

“By analyzing these diverse volcanic rocks, we’ve gained valuable insights into the processes that shaped this region of Mars,” Tice said. “This enhances our understanding of the planet’s geological history and its potential to have supported life.”

Unlocking Mars’ Secrets With Unrivaled Technology Perseverance, NASA’s most advanced robotic explorer, landed in the Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, as part of the Mars 2020 mission’s search for signs of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet. The rover is collecting core samples of Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible future analysis on Earth.

Meanwhile, scientists like Tice are using the rover’s high-tech tools to analyze Martian rocks to determine their chemical composition and detect compounds that could be signs of past life. The rover also has a high-resolution camera system that provides detailed images of rock texture and structures. But Tice said the technology is so advanced compared to that of past NASA rovers that they are gathering new information at unprecedented levels.

"We’re not just looking at pictures — we’re getting detailed chemical data, mineral compositions and even microscopic textures,” Tice said. “It’s like having a mobile lab on another planet."

Tice and his co-authors analyzed the rock formations within the crater to better understand Mars' volcanic and hydrological history. The team used the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL), an advanced spectrometer, to analyze the chemical composition and textures of rocks in the Máaz formation, a key geological area within Jezero Crater. PIXL’s high-resolution X-ray capabilities allow for unprecedented detail in studying the elements in the rocks.

Tice noted the importance of the technology in revolutionizing Martian exploration. “Every rover that has ever gone to Mars has been a technological marvel, but this is the first time we’ve been able to analyze rocks in such high resolution using X-ray fluorescence. It has completely changed the way we think about the history of rocks on Mars,” he said.

What The Rocks Reveal The team’s analysis revealed two distinct types of volcanic rocks. The first type, dark-toned and rich in iron and magnesium, contains intergrown minerals such as pyroxene and plagioclase feldspar, with evidence of altered olivine. The second type, a lighter-toned rock classified as trachy-andesite, includes plagioclase crystals within a potassium-rich groundmass. These findings indicate a complex volcanic history involving multiple lava flows with varying compositions.

To determine how these rocks formed, researchers conducted thermodynamic modeling — a method that simulates the conditions under which the minerals solidified. Their results suggest that the unique compositions resulted from high-degree fractional crystallization, a process where different minerals separate from molten rock as it cools. They also found signs that the lava may have mixed with iron-rich material from Mars' crust, changing the rocks' composition even more.

“The processes we see here — fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation — happen in active volcanic systems on Earth,” said Tice. “It suggests that this part of Mars may have had prolonged volcanic activity, which in turn could have provided a sustained source for different compounds used by life.”

This discovery is crucial for understanding Mars' potential habitability. If Mars had an active volcanic system for an extended period, it might have also maintained conditions suitable for life for long portions of Mars’ early history.

“We’ve carefully selected these rocks because they contain clues to Mars’ past environments,” Tice said. “When we get them back to Earth and can analyze them with laboratory instruments, we’ll be able to ask much more detailed questions about their history and potential biological signatures.”

The Mars Sample Return mission, a collaborative effort between NASA and the European Space Agency, aims to bring the samples back within the next decade. Once on Earth, scientists will have access to more advanced laboratory techniques to analyze them in greater detail.

Tice said that given the astounding level of technology on Perseverance, more discoveries are ahead. “Some of the most exciting work is still ahead of us. This study is just the beginning. We're seeing things that we never expected, and I think in the next few years, we’ll be able to refine our understanding of Mars’ geological history in ways we never imagined.”

about the Perseverance rover and learn about the Texas A&M Department of Geology and Geophysics.

Tice’s co-authors on the study are:

Mariek E. Schmidt and Tanya V. Kizovski, Brock University Yang Liu, Abigail C. Allwood, Morgan L. Cable, and Christopher M. Heirwegh, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Juan D. Hernandez-Montenegro, California Institute of Technology Anastasia Yanchilina, Impossible Sensing, Inc. Joel A. Hurowitz, Stony Brook University Allan H. Treiman, Lunar and Planetary Institute David A. Klevang and Jesper Henneke, Danish Technical University Nicholas J. Tosca, University of Cambridge Scott J. VanBommel, Washington University in St. Louis Richard V. Morris and Justin I. Simon, NASA Johnson Space Center By Lesley Henton, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

###

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Monell Center study identifies GLP-1 therapies as a possible treatment for rare genetic disorder Bardet-Biedl syndrome

2025-04-18
PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 17, 2025) – A Monell Chemical Senses Center study published this week in the Journal of Clinical Investigation offers renewed hope for individuals living with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS), a rare genetic disorder characterized by early-onset obesity, compulsive eating, and cognitive impairments. The Monell team and colleagues identified that GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of drugs currently used to treat type-2 diabetes and obesity, as a promising therapeutic for managing the metabolic complications associated with BBS. They used ...

Scientists probe the mystery of Titan’s missing deltas

2025-04-18
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — For scientists who want to learn about the geological history of a planet, river deltas are a great place to start. Deltas gather sediment from a large area into one place, which can be studied to reveal climate and tectonic histories or signs of past life. That’s why NASA sent its most recent Mars rover to Jezero Crater, home to a prominent and well-preserved delta.  And that’s why planetary scientists are also interested in finding deltas on Saturn’s moon Titan. Titan is the only planetary body ...

Q&A: What makes an ‘accidental dictator’ in the workplace?

2025-04-18
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The professional world has no shortage of micromanagers — or, as Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations (LER) faculty members Craig L. Pearce and Hee Man Park like to call them, “accidental dictators.” But leaders don’t have to fall into that trap, according to an article published in the journal Organizational Dynamics co-written by Pearce, Brova Family Endowed Professor of leadership and human resources, and Park, associate professor of human resource management and director of LER’s graduate program. The journal’s readership is largely made up ...

Lehigh University water scientist Arup K. SenGupta honored with ASCE Freese Award and Lecture

2025-04-18
Lehigh University Senior Research Scientist Arup K. SenGupta, a professor emeritus in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is the 2025 recipient of the Simon W. Freese Environmental Engineering Award and Lecture, presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). SenGupta, an ASCE Fellow, is an internationally recognized water scientist whose research has led to sustainable solutions for removing arsenic, fluoride, and other contaminants from drinking water around the world. His pioneering work in ion exchange science has also advanced technologies for desalination, wastewater reclamation, and carbon ...

Study highlights gaps in firearm suicide prevention among women

2025-04-18
Just under 4 in 10 women who died by firearm suicide had no documented history of mental or physical health problems in a new study, highlighting a need for prevention strategies tailored to at-risk women. The findings come at a time when suicides have been on the rise, alongside a surge in gun ownership — especially among women, said lead author Laura Prater, an assistant professor in The Ohio State University College of Public Health. In the last two decades, firearm deaths in the U.S., including those involving suicide, increased by almost 50%. Women historically made up 10 to 20% of new gun owners, a percentage ...

People with medical debt five times more likely to not receive mental health care treatment

2025-04-18
People with medical debt in 2023 were about five times more likely to forgo mental health care treatment in the following year due to cost, compared to those without medical debt, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. For their study, the researchers analyzed 2023 and 2024 data from a nationwide survey related to mental health. The researchers found that 33.8% of respondents who reported having had medical debt in 2023 also reported forgoing mental health care for cost-related reasons in 2024, compared ...

Hydronidone for the treatment of liver fibrosis associated with chronic hepatitis B

2025-04-18
Background and Aims Liver fibrosis is a key process in the progression of chronic liver diseases. However, there are currently no drugs specifically designed to treat liver fibrosis. Our Phase 2 trial of hydronidone for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-associated liver fibrosis showed that adding hydronidone to entecavir resulted in significant reversal of liver fibrosis. To further evaluate the efficacy of a 270 mg/day dose of hydronidone for treating liver fibrosis associated with CHB, we conducted ...

Rise in claim denial rates for cancer-related advanced genetic testing

2025-04-18
Both the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) testing for cancer and the rate of claim denials for such testing increased between 2016 and 2021, despite implementation of a recent Medicare national coverage determination that established coverage standards for NGS testing. The analysis by Georgetown University researchers and colleagues, and funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, appears April 18, 2025, in JAMA Network Open. The researchers point to several possible ...

Legalizing youth-friendly cannabis edibles and extracts and adolescent cannabis use

2025-04-18
About The Study: In this serial cross-sectional study of adolescents in grades 7 to 11, legalization of cannabis edibles and extracts was associated with an increase not only in edible cannabis use and cannabis smoking, but also in the overall prevalence of cannabis use and co-use of alcohol and cannabis, highlighting the need for stricter policy measures to curb adolescents’ access to cannabis edibles and extracts and greater awareness among adolescents about harms of cannabis use. Corresponding ...

Medical debt and forgone mental health care due to cost among adults

2025-04-18
About The Study: In this survey study, more than 1 in 7 adults reported carrying medical debt in 2023, of whom 1 in 3 forwent mental health care in the subsequent year. Medical debt may exacerbate the treatment gap by potentially (1) raising the threshold for seeking care, (2) eroding patient trust in the health system, or (3) being denied care due to outstanding debts. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Catherine K. Ettman, PhD, email cettman1@jh.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.0383) Editor’s ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Heart rhythm disorder traced to bacterium lurking in our gums

American Society of Plant Biologists names 2025 award recipients

Protecting Iceland’s towns from lava flows – with dirt

Noninvasive intracranial source signal localization and decoding with high spatiotemporal resolution

A smarter way to make sulfones: Using molecular oxygen and a functional catalyst

Self-assembly of a large metal-peptide capsid nanostructure through geometric control

Fatty liver in pregnancy may increase risk of preterm birth

World record for lithium-ion conductors

Researchers map 7,000-year-old genetic mutation that protects against HIV

KIST leads next-generation energy storage technology with development of supercapacitor that overcomes limitations

Urine, not water for efficient production of green hydrogen

Chip-scale polydimethylsiloxane acousto-optic phase modulator boosts higher-resolution plasmonic comb spectroscopy

Blood test for many cancers could potentially thwart progression to late stage in up to half of cases

Women non-smokers still around 50% more likely than men to develop COPD

AI tool uses face photos to estimate biological age and predict cancer outcomes

North Korea’s illegal wildlife trade threatens endangered species

Health care workers, firefighters have increased PFAS levels, study finds

Turning light into usable energy

Important step towards improving diagnosis and treatment of brain metastases

Maternal cardiometabolic health during pregnancy associated with higher blood pressure in children, NIH study finds

Mercury levels in the atmosphere have decreased throughout the 21st century

This soft robot “thinks” with its legs

Biologists identify targets for new pancreatic cancer treatments

Simple tweaks to a gene underlie the stench of rotten-smelling flowers

Simple, effective interventions reduce emissions from Bangladesh’s informal brick kilns

Ultrasound-guided 3D bioprinting enables deep-tissue implant fabrication in vivo

Soft limbs of flexible tubes and air enable dynamic, autonomous robotic locomotion

Researchers develop practical solution to reduce emissions and improve air quality from brick manufacturing in Bangladesh

Durham University scientists solve 500-million-year fossil mystery

Red alert for our closest relatives

[Press-News.org] New study unveils volcanic history and clues to ancient life on Mars
The proof may be in the pudding, but according to a Texas A&M University geologist, when it comes to ancient life on the Red Planet, the proof is in the rocks.