First traces of water on Mars dated back to 4.45 billion years ago

While analysing a Martian meteorite, scientists from the University of Lausanne (UNIL), together with Australian researchers, discovered traces of water dating back 4.45 billion years. Thanks to observations by Mars rovers and space probes, it has been known for decades that the planet Mars once contained water, and probably rivers and lakes. Many questions remain, however, including when this precious liquid first appeared, UNIL said in a press release on Monday. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox By analysing the composition of a mineral - zircon - found in a Martian meteorite, UNIL scientists, together with colleagues from Curtin University and the University of Adelaide in Australia, have succeeded in dating traces of water in the crust of Mars. According to the study, published in the journal Science Advances, hydrothermal activity dates back 4.45 billion years, just 100 million years after the planet's formation. "Our data suggest that there was water ...