Martian Carbonates Discovered in Underground Deposits
New research suggests feldspar-rich rocks on Mars hide significant carbonate deposits from a wetter past.
Updated on Sept. 26, 2026 in Geology
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Researchers have identified that feldspar-rich rocks on Mars likely harbor carbonates buried deep beneath the planet surface. The findings suggest that groundwater circulation was a more effective mechanism for forming these minerals than standing water.
Why it matters
The scarcity of surface carbonates has long puzzled scientists, who categorize the planet's existing rocks into two distinct groups. This study explains how groundwater likely moved these materials underground, potentially hiding evidence of the planet's ancient history.
Simulations using the PHREEQC Version 3 code modeled mineral alteration over 100,000-year episodes. These models compared groundwater percolation against diffusion in standing water to track carbonate formation.
The players
JAXA
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is the primary organization responsible for leading the geochemical research study.
The details
By building one-dimensional thermochemical models, JAXA researchers traced how water interacts with crustal rock to dissolve and reprecipitate minerals. While mafic rocks only yield magnesium-rich carbonates after short alteration periods, feldspar-rich terrain—which comprises 60% of Earth's crust—facilitates the formation of deeper carbonate deposits.
Timeline
Billions of years ago, water interacted with rocks on the Martian surface.
Simulations tracked mineral alteration over periods lasting 100,000 years.
The Big Picture
This discovery refines the scientific understanding of Martian geologic history by providing a new framework for how minerals shift beneath the surface. It follows findings published in JGR Planets and updates existing theories regarding the mineral distribution on the planet.
Future exploration missions are now expected to prioritize drilling into feldspar-rich terrain to verify these subsurface findings. This shift in operational focus could provide the definitive data needed to confirm a warmer, wetter Martian past.
The takeaway
The discovery indicates that the search for water-related history on Mars must extend far beneath the surface. Future missions may uncover a much richer geologic record than current surface observations suggest.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in the field by visiting our Geology section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Universe Today.
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