Rapid Fire
Jarosite
- 27 May 2025
- 2 min read
A new study highlights jarosite as a natural luminescent mineral capable of recording the timing of ancient Martian events such as dust storms, flooding, and volcanic activity. The mineral, also present in Gujarat’s Kutch region, offers crucial insights due to its presence both on Earth and Mars.
- It is a yellow-brown mineral rich in potassium, iron, and sulphate, found in arid, salty environments like those on Mars.
- It exhibits radiation-induced luminescence, serving as a geological clock that can record events up to 25,000 years ago.
- Occurrence:
- Earth: It is found in acid mine drainage, sulfur-rich volcanic zones, and arid, sulfate-rich sedimentary rocks.
- Mars: It was detected by NASA's Opportunity and Curiosity rovers in Meridiani Planum and Gale Crater.
- It has been successfully used to date weathering processes, particularly with the Potassium-Argon (K-Ar) dating method.
- Potassium-Argon (K-Ar) dating method is a radiometric technique used to determine the age of rocks and minerals based on the decay of radioactive potassium-40 into argon-40.
| Read More: NASA's Mars Sample Return Program |
