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Comparing Martian dust to a lab-made match

Comparing Martian dust to a lab-made match
Comparing Martian dust to a lab-made match This image is Figure 1 of a 2025 research paper by Adomas Valantinas and colleagues in Nature Communications, "Detection of ferrihydrite in Martian red dust records ancient cold and wet conditions on Mars." It compares the color and spectral properties of Martian dust with a lab-made mixture of ferrihydrite and basalt. a. A natural-color image of Mars showing its signature ochre hue, captured by the Emirates Mars Mission on August 14, 2021. b. A sample of finely ground ferrihydrite and basalt mixed in the lab, designed to mimic Martian dust. c. A comparison of light reflected from actual Martian dust (measured from orbit) and the lab-made mixture. The shapes of the curves show how closely the lab sample matches Mars’ surface. A sharp rise in brightness around 0.5 microns is caused by iron, while features near 3 microns suggest the presence of water molecules bonded within the dust. This comparison helps scientists understand what Mars’ red dust is made of and when and how it formed. Valantinas et al.