The study, led by Rice University's Cin-Ty Lee, demonstrates that the southern highlands' thick crust—up to 80 kilometers in some areas—was hot enough during the Noachian and early Hesperian ...

Phyllosilicates found in the Noachian crust, which formed over 3.8 billion years ago, confirm prolonged interactions between surface water and rocks. These systems may have played a role in ...

Collected from Blue Hill, this 2.9cm rock core is the first Noachian-aged outcrop sample. NASA describes it as a “one-of-a-kind treasure” for studying Mars’ ancient geological history.