Mars’s ancient atmosphere might be locked in clay

While water was present on Mars, they suggest, the liquid could have seeped through certain types of rock and set off a slow chain of reactions that gradually pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turned it into methane, a form of carbon that could be stored in clay for eons.

COURTESY OF THE RESEARCHERS

The researchers applied their knowledge of interactions between rocks and gases on Earth to allow similar processes to occur on Mars. They found that the amount of clay covering the surface of Mars can hold up to 1.7 bars of CO₂which would be equivalent to about 80% of the planet’s early atmosphere. “In some ways, the missing Martian atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight,” says Murray.

Researchers think it’s possible that this sequestered carbon could one day be recovered and turned into fuel for future missions between Mars and Earth.