Tag Archives: magma ocean

‘Black Beauty’ meteorite expands window for early Mars life

Posted on June 28, 2018 by rburnham

The early surface of Mars consisted of a liquid magma ocean that crystallized extremely rapidly, just 20 million year after the formation of the solar system. Thereafter, a solid crust emerged on the red planet, potentially housing oceans with water … Continue reading →

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Clays quickly cooked in early Mars steambath

Posted on December 7, 2017 by rburnham

New research suggests that the bulk of clay minerals on Mars could have been formed as the planet’s crust cooled and solidified, not by later interactions with water on the surface as has long been assumed. (…) There are thousands … Continue reading →

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Two-faced Mars: Moon-size object hit south pole

Posted on January 29, 2015 by rburnham

The two hemispheres of Mars are more different from any other planet in our solar system. Non-volcanic, flat lowlands characterise the northern hemisphere, while highlands punctuated by countless volcanoes extend across the southern hemisphere. Although theories and assumptions about the … Continue reading →

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