Mar's Meteorite proves water use to be on Mars.

"We report data on the martian meteorite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034, which shares some petrologic and geochemical characteristics with known martian (SNC, i.e., Shergottite, Nakhlite, and Chassignite) meteorites, but also possesses some unique characteristics that would exclude it from the current SNC grouping. NWA 7034 is a geochemically enriched crustal rock compositionally similar to basalts and average martian crust measured by recent rover and orbiter missions. It formed 2.089 ± 0.081 Ga, during the early Amazonian epoch in Mars' geologic history. NWA 7034 has an order of magnitude more indigenous water than most SNC meteorites, with up to 6000 ppm extraterrestrial H2O released during stepped heating. It also has bulk oxygen isotope values of Δ17O = 0.58 ± 0.05‰ and a heat-released water oxygen isotope average value of Δ17O = 0.330 ± 0.011‰, suggesting the existence of multiple oxygen reservoirs on Mars."

[link to www.sciencemag.org]

I dont know how I get hit with a 1 star when all of this is from official sources and it is a scientific magazine but that is a troll for you.

"Dating from 2.1 billion years ago, NWA 7034 is the second-oldest Martian meteorite, and provides a "missing link" in the planet’s geological record, according to Agee. (The oldest prospective Martian meteorite, ALH 84001, is 4.5 billion years old, whereas all other Martian meteorites are 1.3 billion years old or younger.) Several lines of evidence indicate that parts of Mars were warmer and wetter, and therefore a possible haven for carbon-based life, some 4 billion years ago. The relatively high water content of NWA 7034, which could be as much as 0.6% by weight, suggests that “crustal or surface processes involving water may have lasted” well beyond the 4-billion-year mark, Agee adds."

[link to www.scientificamerican.com]

If this rock really is billion of years old then that would suggest life has been around in our solar system for billions of years. Just makes me think we did destroy mars in some disaster and got cultural amnesia if we came to earth. Looks like we are working on destroying our second planet maybe even more.

Forgive me, but how do they know it come from Mars?

It could have come from anywhere right? Even the moon?

Great article!

"The researchers confirmed the meteorite's Martian origins using a process of elimination. It took six months for Agee and his team to confidently report that the piece of space rock came from Mars. Because of the meteorite's age, they knew it couldn't come from an asteroid: All asteroids are much older than 2.1 billion years — most are probably at least 4.5 billion years old.

"We knew that it had to be from a planet," Agee said. Mercury wasn't an option: the composition of the volcanic meteorite didn't match the surface of the closest planet to the sun. Venus didn't fit either. Scientists hypothesize that that planet's surface is too dry to produce a meteorite with NWA 7034's water content, Agee added.

Mars was the only viable option, and with mounting evidence suggesting that the meteorite was similar in composition to the rocks analyzed by rovers, Agee's hypothesis fit."
[link to www.space.com]

I am obviously not a scientist myself so I have to take their word for it. I am not sure why they would lie about this the scientist that published the article is putting his reputation on the line.

Last Edited by j1m1hendrix on 01/04/2013 12:12 AM

Fascinating, thank you.