Fe-phosphates in Jezero Crater as evidence for an ancient habitable environment on Mars

T. V. Kizovski (), M. E. Schmidt, L. O’Neil, M. W. M. Jones, N. J. Tosca, D. A. Klevang, J. A. Hurowitz, C. T. Adcock, E. M. Hausrath, K. L. Siebach, Z. U. Wolf, S. Sharma, S. J. VanBommel, F. M. McCubbin, E. Cloutis, M. L. Cable, Y. Liu, B. C. Clark, A. H. Treiman, M. M. Tice, D. C. Catling, J. Maki, T. Bosak, B. P. Weiss, A. G. Fairén, J. R. Christian, A. L. Knight, A. O. Shumway, N. R. Randazzo, P. S. Jørgensen, P. R. Lawson, L. Wade, C. Heirwegh, W. T. Elam and A. C. Allwood
Additional contact information
T. V. Kizovski: Brock University
M. E. Schmidt: Brock University
L. O’Neil: Texas A&M University
M. W. M. Jones: Queensland University of Technology
N. J. Tosca: University of Cambridge
D. A. Klevang: Kongens
J. A. Hurowitz: Stony Brook University
C. T. Adcock: College of Southern Nevada
E. M. Hausrath: University of Nevada
K. L. Siebach: Rice University
Z. U. Wolf: Los Alamos National Laboratory
S. Sharma: California Institute of Technology
S. J. VanBommel: Washington University in St. Louis
F. M. McCubbin: NASA Johnson Space Center
E. Cloutis: University of Winnipeg
M. L. Cable: California Institute of Technology
Y. Liu: California Institute of Technology
B. C. Clark: Space Science Institute
A. H. Treiman: Lunar and Planetary Institute (USRA)
M. M. Tice: Texas A&M University
D. C. Catling: University of Washington
J. Maki: California Institute of Technology
T. Bosak: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
B. P. Weiss: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A. G. Fairén: CSIC-INTA
J. R. Christian: Washington University in St. Louis
A. L. Knight: Washington University in St. Louis
A. O. Shumway: University of Washington
N. R. Randazzo: University of Alberta
P. S. Jørgensen: Kongens
P. R. Lawson: California Institute of Technology
L. Wade: California Institute of Technology
C. Heirwegh: California Institute of Technology
W. T. Elam: University of Washington
A. C. Allwood: California Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Phosphorus is an essential component for life, and in-situ identification of phosphate minerals that formed in aqueous conditions directly contributes toward one of the main goals of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover: to seek signs of ancient habitable environments. In Jezero crater, proximity science analyses within a conglomerate outcrop, “Onahu” demonstrate the presence of rare Fe3+-bearing phosphate minerals (likely metavivianite, ferrolaueite, (ferro)beraunite, and/or santabarbaraite) embedded in a carbonate-rich matrix. While Fe-phosphates have been inferred previously on Mars, this work presents the most definitive in-situ identification of martian Fe-phosphate minerals to date, using textural, chemical, spectral, and diffraction analyses of discrete green-blue grains. The Fe-phosphate minerals’ textural context along with comparisons to Earth analogs suggest they likely formed after oxidation of Fe2+-phosphate vivianite, the most common Fe-phosphate in sedimentary environments on Earth, often associated with microbial activity and organics. While there is no obvious evidence of biological inputs in Onahu, if the Fe-phosphates’ formation environment was similar to vivianite-rich sedimentary environments on Earth, these minerals likely originally precipitated in conditions favorable to potential martian life — in a low temperature, reducing aqueous medium with high concentrations of bio-limiting elements, and Fe-redox gradients that could provide an energy source. If the sample collected from Onahu (Otis_Peak) is returned to Earth, analysis of the Fe-phosphates may provide new insights into ancient habitable environments on Mars.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60026-7

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