American geologists from the Carnegie Institution in Washington discovered that the depths of Mars are much poorer in various minerals than the depths of the Earth. For over 50 years, only 161 minerals have been found on the red planet, while Earth has about 6,000 minerals. published In the scientific journal Geophysical Research: Planets (JGR: Planets).
The difference, according to scientists, arose due to the fact that on Earth 57 mechanisms of primary and secondary mineral formation were found, while on Mars there are only 20 such methods.
Minerals on Earth and Mars formed similarly in early planetary history. For example, the first ores on both planets likely crystallized directly from the cooling magma.
But with the onset of plate tectonics and the spread of life billions of years ago, Earth’s mineral array underwent extensive diversification, whereas these projects did not materialize on Mars.
Geologists suggest that the total amount of minerals on Mars is probably still much less than on Earth.
Formerly Russia announced On the preparation of the mission to deliver soil samples to Earth from Mars’ moon Phobos.