Jarosite formation in deep Antarctic ice provides a window into acidic, water-limited weathering on Mars

Jarosite, a ferric-potassium hydroxide sulfate, has been found in Martian surficial sediments. This study reports the discovery of jarosite within deep Antarctic ice, formed through the interaction of aeolian dust and acidic atmospheric aerosols. This englacial diagenetic mechanism supports the ice-weathering model for jarosite formation on Mars, highlighting the geological importance of paleo-ice processes on the planet. The findings have implications for paleoclimatic reconstructions and the englacial history of Antarctic meteorites.

Giovanni Baccolo, Barbara Delmonte, P. B. Niles, Giannantonio Cibin, Elena Di Stefano, Dariush Hampai, Lindsay Keller, Valter Maggi, Augusto Marcelli, Joseph Michalski, Christopher Snead, Massimo Frezzotti