Indian scientists identify Martian analogue sites

Indian scientists identify Martian analogue sites left The laser Raman instrument facility at the Department of Geology, which is funded by the DST-FIST. Photo credit: PIB https://th-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/4valpg/article71604605.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/image003_20261016154116_2f2062.jpg Researchers added that identifying terrestrial analogue sites has become a pressing requirement in the era of intense planetary exploration since recent studies demonstrated that orbital data alone cannot fully characterise Martian minerals. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Researchers from Keralam have identified two key minerals in parts of Tamil Nadu and the Atacama Desert in Chile, which reflect geological, chemical and physical similarities with Mars, and have helped establish these areas as Martian analogue sites. The research team from the Kerala University, led by Sajin Kumar K.S., Associate Professor, Department of Geology, and project coordinator, DST-FIST, identified melanterite in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, and gypsum in the Atacama Desert and the Tiruchirappalli Badlands, a semi-arid geological and paleoclimatic terrain in Tamil Nadu.