Detection of ferrihydrite in Martian red dust records ancient cold and wet conditions on Mars

Adomas Valantinas (), John F. Mustard, Vincent Chevrier, Nicolas Mangold, Janice L. Bishop, Antoine Pommerol, Pierre Beck, Olivier Poch, Daniel M. Applin, Edward A. Cloutis, Takahiro Hiroi, Kevin Robertson, Sebastian Pérez-López, Rafael Ottersberg, Geronimo L. Villanueva, Aurélien Stcherbinine, Manish R. Patel and Nicolas Thomas
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Adomas Valantinas: University of Bern
John F. Mustard: Brown University
Vincent Chevrier: University of Arkansas
Nicolas Mangold: Le Mans Univ
Janice L. Bishop: SETI Institute
Antoine Pommerol: University of Bern
Pierre Beck: IPAG
Olivier Poch: IPAG
Daniel M. Applin: University of Winnipeg
Edward A. Cloutis: University of Winnipeg
Takahiro Hiroi: Brown University
Kevin Robertson: Brown University
Sebastian Pérez-López: Brown University
Rafael Ottersberg: University of Bern
Geronimo L. Villanueva: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Aurélien Stcherbinine: CNRS
Manish R. Patel: Open University
Nicolas Thomas: University of Bern

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Iron oxide-hydroxide minerals in Martian dust provide crucial insights into Mars’ past climate and habitability. Previous studies attributed Mars’ red color to anhydrous hematite formed through recent weathering. Here, we show that poorly crystalline ferrihydrite (Fe5O8H · nH2O) is the dominant iron oxide-bearing phase in Martian dust, based on combined analyses of orbital, in-situ, and laboratory visible near-infrared spectra. Spectroscopic analyses indicate that a hyperfine mixture of ferrihydrite, basalt and sulfate best matches Martian dust observations. Through laboratory experiments and kinetic calculations, we demonstrate that ferrihydrite remains stable under present-day Martian conditions, preserving its poorly crystalline structure. The persistence of ferrihydrite suggests it formed during a cold, wet period on early Mars under oxidative conditions, followed by a transition to the current hyper-arid environment. This finding challenges previous models of continuous dry oxidation and indicates that ancient Mars experienced aqueous alteration before transitioning to its current desert state.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56970-z

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