Metal Mars: An Iron Age on Mars?

In this episode, astrobiologist Graham Lau recounts his dramatic experience drilling for core samples in the remote Canadian Arctic at Borup Fiord Pass—a site where unique sulphur and iron deposits, known as gossans, reveal the imprints of ancient hydrothermal activity. Lau explains how these rusty, red-capped formations, which on Earth can indicate the presence of early life, might also exist on Mars, hidden amidst the planet’s uniformly oxidized landscape. The discussion expands to consider how such mineral wealth could be pivotal in sustaining human colonies, providing the raw materials necessary for building infrastructure and fueling a future Martian Iron Age.

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METAL MARS
An Iron Age on Mars
By Jeff Stepp
From Ad Astra
Read by Isaac Arthur
Produced by Isaac Arthur / SFIA
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator