hematite Archives - Astrobiology

The image on the left shows the difference between shocked basalt with red specs of iron alteration, in which bedrock basalt is the precursor, and lighter grey shocked soil on the bottom right of the large sample. On the right, individual samples of shocked soil can be seen. They are light grey with white caliche – a cemented sedimentary deposit – soil horizons within them just like the shocked soil stuck to the rock on the left. Credit: Shawn Wright/Mikayla Kelley

Analog Studies, Astrogeology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Impact events, Mars, Press Release

Shocked Soil Discovered: Rare On Earth, But Abundant On Mars?

by Keith CowingJune 17, 2026June 17, 2026

When a meteoroid strikes, it generates a wave of energy that moves faster than the speed of sound. When all that energy propagates through material in seconds or less before […]

An artist rendering of the Curiosity rover with its scientific instruments labeled. Scientists used the Chemistry and Minerology (CheMin) instrument to perform X-ray diffraction analysis on samples of powdered rock. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors

NASA Uses Mineralogical Marker to Understand Ancient Martian Climate

by Keith CowingJune 1, 2026June 1, 2026

While NASA imagery has shown evidence of ancient rivers and lakes on Mars that transitioned to dry dunes, uncertainty remains over the timing of the environmental changes that may have […]

Graphical abstract -- Journal of the American Chemical Society

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Fungal–Mineral Interaction: Astrobiology Insights from Iron-Rich Mineral Alteration by an Extremophile Black Fungus

by Keith CowingDecember 17, 2025January 15, 2026

Iron-rich minerals, such as hematite (α-Fe2O3), are prominent constituents of the Martian surface; they are considered to be potential indicators of past aqueous activity and habitability.

Mosaic of the Valles Marineris hemisphere of Mars projected into point perspective, a view similar to that which one would see from a spacecraft. The distance is 2500 kilometers from the surface of the planet, with the scale being .6km/pixel. The mosaic is composed of 102 Viking Orbiter images of Mars. The center of the scene (lat -8, long 78) shows the entire Valles Marineris canyon system, over 2000 kilometers long and up to 8 kilometers deep, extending form Noctis Labyrinthus, the arcuate system of graben to the west, to the chaotic terrain to the east. Many huge ancient river channels begin from the chaotic terrain from north-central canyons and run north. The three Tharsis volcanoes (dark red spots), each about 25 kilometers high, are visible to the west. South of Valles Marineris is very ancient terrain covered by many impact craters. Credit: NASA

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Study on Why Mars Is Red Supports Potentially Habitable Past

by Keith CowingApril 6, 2025April 6, 2025

A new international study partially funded by NASA on how Mars got its iconic red color adds to evidence that Mars had a cool but wet and potentially habitable climate […]

Mars - ESA

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Have We Been Wrong About Why Mars Is Red?

by Keith CowingMarch 5, 2025March 5, 2025

The Red Planet’s iconic rusty dust has a much wetter history than previously assumed, find scientists combining European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA spacecraft data with new laboratory experiments on […]

Spherical microfossils. (A) Cluster of H. macroreticulata Barghorn in a hematite-rich stromatolite lamina. (B) High-resolution photomicrograph of two small H. macroreticulata Barghoorn in contact. (C and D) Larger spherical microfossils, with their internal structure revealed. -- Geobiology via PubMed

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Iron‐Oxidizing Bacteria Bloomed in Shallow‐Marine, Subtidal Environments 1.88 Billion Years Ago

by Keith CowingDecember 19, 2024December 19, 2024

The majority of large iron formations (IFs) were deposited leading up to Earth’s great oxidation episode (GOE). Following the GOE, IF deposition decreased for almost 500 Myr.

Photographs of Tava injectites within a darker-colored, red-brown to purple host comprising sandstone ridges. Outcrops (A) and (C) and their sketch overlays (B) and (D), respectively, showing 1st-(purple) and 2nd-(gold) generation injectites. Locations are North Cheyenne Canyon (A, B) and Manitou Springs (C, D). (A-B) are repeated from the main text figures but display further highlighted details. Study locations are shown in Fig. S2. -- PNAS

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Extinction events, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Hematite U-Pb Dating Of Snowball Earth Meltwater Events

by Keith CowingDecember 2, 2024December 2, 2024

The Snowball Earth hypothesis predicts global ice cover; however, previous descriptions of Cryogenian (720-635 Ma) glacial deposits are limited to continental margins and shallow marine basins.