New research by an international team of researchers now argues that a different iron oxide mineral is in fact responsible for the Mars’ color: ferrihydrite.

Melting of the Greenland ice sheet is currently the primary driver of sea-level rise. For the first time, scientists from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), together with a team of global researchers, have integrated various modern space geodetic techniques, particularly satellite positioning data, to monitor the subsidence of vertical bedrock and successfully quantify summer water storage in the Greenland ice sheet. This achievement offers new insights and evidence regarding the contribution of ice sheets to global sea-level rise. Findings from their research have been published in the international journal Nature.

Researchers from the University of Bayreuth and the ESRF, the European Synchrotron, have subjected a blend of iron and sulphur to extreme conditions resembling the deep interior of Mars. They observed the formation of a crystal phase, Fe4+xS3, under high pressures and temperatures – raising the possibility that the Red Planet has a solid inner core.

Tohoku University researchers are looking underfoot to uncover the mysterious past of Mars: Martian regoliths in the soil. Their water storage capabilities may help us understand the change in water on Mars over time.

New Curtin University research has revealed how massive ancient glaciers acted like giant bulldozers, reshaping Earth’s surface and paving the way for complex life to flourish.

By chemically analysing crystals in ancient rocks, the researchers discovered that as glaciers carved through the landscape, they scraped deep into the Earth’s crust, releasing key minerals that altered ocean chemistry.

This process had a profound impact on our planet’s composition, creating conditions that allowed complex life to evolve.