A MINERAL map of Mars has revealed two locations that are rich in haematite,
a mineral usually formed by precipitation from water. The researchers who made
the discovery used NASA鈥檚 Mars Global Surveyor satellite to measure infrared
energy radiating from rocks on the planet鈥檚 surface.
The presence of haematite is evidence that water, a key ingredient for life,
was present on the Martian surface for hundreds of thousands of years, Paul
Christensen of Arizona State University in Tempe told the American Geophysical
Union鈥檚 meeting in San Francisco last week. One of the haematite-rich spots may
be targeted for the next Mars rover landing.