A group of scientists from the German Aerospace Center studied the properties of the soil on Mars and discovered the reasons for its hardness.
According to their findings, the temperature in the first 40 centimeters of the Martian surface leads to the formation of salt films that harden in the soil.
The team determined that the density of the first 30 centimeters of soil is comparable to that of basaltic sand. This material is spread across the Earth and is created by weathering volcanic rocks rich in iron and magnesium, reports Noi.md reading.
Below this layer, the density of the soil is comparable to that of compacted sand and coarser basalt fragments.
The team of scientists found that the surface temperature of the Red Planet itself fluctuated by only 5-7°C during Martian days, which is a tiny fraction of the fluctuations seen above the surface – from 110 to 130°C.
This shows that the Martian soil serves as an insulator, greatly reducing large temperature variations at shallow depths.
According to the researchers, this factor could affect potential biological processes regarding possible microbial life on Mars.
