New research led by Curtin University has identified for the first time the exact home of the oldest and most famous Martian meteorite, offering critical geological clues about the oldest origins of Mars.
Using a multidisciplinary approach involving an machine learning algorithm, the new research, published today in Nature Communications, identified the particular crater on Mars that ejected the so-called ‘Black Beauty’ meteorite, weighing 320 grams, and paired stones, which were first reported. as found in North Africa in 2011.
Researchers have named the specific Mars crater after the town of Pilbara de Karratha, located more than 1,500 km north of Perth in Western Australia, which is home to one of the oldest land rocks.
The lead author, Dr. Anthony Lagain, of the Curtin Center for Space Science and Technology at the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the exciting discovery offered unprecedented details about the known Martian meteorite NWA 7034. as “Black Beauty,” which is widely known. studied around the world. Black Beauty is the only brecciated Martian sample available on Earth, meaning it contains angular fragments of multiple types of rocks cemented together, which is different from all other Martian meteorites that contain unique rock types.
“For the first time, we know the geological context of the only brecciated Martian sample available on Earth, 10 years before NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission sent samples collected by the Perseverance rover currently exploring Jezero Crater,” Lagain said. . dit.
“Finding the region where the meteorite ‘Black Beauty’ originates is crucial because it contains the oldest Martian fragments ever found, at 4.48 billion years, and shows similarities between the very ancient crust of Mars, about 4.53 billion The region we identify as the source of this unique sample of a Martian meteorite is a real window into the oldest environment of the planets, including Earth, which our planet lost due to of plate tectonics and erosion “.
The discovery was made using an algorithm that was developed internally in Curtin by an interdisciplinary group that included members of the Curtin Institute for Computation and the School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, as well as the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Center and the Australian Space. Data analysis service, funded by the Australian Research Council.
Using one of the fastest supercomputers in the southern hemisphere at the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Center and the Curtin HIVE (Hub for Immersive Visualization and eResearch), the researchers analyzed a very large volume of high-resolution planetary images using a machine learning algorithm to detect impact. craters.
The co-author, Professor Gretchen Benedix, also of the Curtin Center for Space Science and Technology at the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said this research paved the way for locating the ejection site of other meteorites. Martians, in order to create the most comprehensive view of the geological history of the Red Planet.
“We are also adapting the algorithm that was used to identify the Black Beauty expulsion point from Mars to unlock other secrets of the Moon and Mercury,” Professor Benedix said.
“This will help unravel its geological history and answer hot questions that will help future research into the Solar System, such as the Artemis program to send humans to the Moon by the end of the decade or the BepiColombo mission, orbiting Mercury on 2025. ”
The research also featured experts from the University of Paris-Saclay, the Paris Observatory, the National Museum of Natural History, the French National Center for Scientific Research, the Félix Houphouët-Boigny University in Côte d’Ivoire. and the University of Northern Arizona and Rutgers University in the United States. of America.