University of Kerala team identifies Martian analogue sites in Tamil Nadu and Chile
16 October 2026
Indian scientists have identified a few Martian analogue sites, places on Earth whose minerals and conditions resemble those on Mars.
The team identified two hydrous sulphate minerals, melanterite and gypsum.
Melanterite was found at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu, and gypsum was found in the Atacama Desert in Chile and in the Tiruchirappalli Badlands, a semi-arid area in Tamil Nadu.
Gypsum points to past water activity, while melanterite points to brief wet, acidic and oxidising conditions.
The team from the University of Kerala was led by Sajin Kumar K. S. and used a laser Raman spectrometer supported under DST-FIST to confirm the minerals.
The findings appear in two research papers in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.
In plain words
Analogue site Planetary analogue site — A place on Earth whose geology or climate resembles another planet closely enough to be used for testing and comparison.
DST-FIST Fund for Improvement of Science and Technology Infrastructure of the Department of Science and Technology — A central scheme that pays for research equipment in universities and colleges.