Articles by Thomas

Carbonates are tiny chemical time capsules that can tell us about ancient water, climate, and even the possibility of preserved organics. Yet orbital instruments sometimes miss them — even where rovers later find them — and that discrepancy raises a big question: why do carbonate […]

Have you ever seen two old friends meet at a café and realized they tell a story together that neither could tell alone? On Mars, olivine and carbonates are those friends. Olivine is an iron-magnesium silicate that’s common in fresh volcanic rocks, and carbonates are […]

Detecting carbonate minerals on Mars is one of the clearest ways to learn about ancient water, past climate, and where the planet may have trapped CO₂ over time. Carbonates are like geological notebooks: they record the chemistry of the fluids that made them and sometimes […]

Imagine trying to read a book through a layer of fog. The letters blur, the ink mutes, and you might mistake one word for another. That’s exactly what planetary scientists face when remote instruments try to “read” minerals on Mars. The planet’s surface ranges from […]

If you’ve ever wondered where Mars might have kept records of its watery past, carbonates are a top answer. These minerals — made when carbon dioxide, water, and rock interact — act like tiny time capsules. They can trap chemical signatures, shield fragile organic molecules, […]

If you’re fascinated by Mars, here’s the short version: magnesium–iron carbonates are chemical time capsules. They form when CO₂-rich water reacts with rock, and they lock away clues about ancient atmosphere, water chemistry, and — maybe — preserved organics. Knowing where rovers have actually drilled […]

Have you ever found a hidden note in an old book and felt like you’d discovered someone’s secret? Finding iron-rich carbonates on Mars is a bit like that: they’re tiny chemical notes left behind by ancient environments. Iron-rich carbonates — minerals like siderite (iron carbonate) […]