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Mars Analogue Sites in India
A Mars analogue site is a place on Earth whose geology, chemistry and physical setting resemble the Martian surface, so scientists can study there what orbiters only glimpse from above. It is in the news because the Department of Science and Technology reported on 16 October 2026 that University of Kerala geologists had found two water-bearing sulphate minerals that make Neyveli and the Tiruchirappalli Badlands in Tamil Nadu, and the Atacama Desert in Chile, such sites.
Last updated 16 October 20263 min read
Latest update
Creates the Mars analogue sites card: melanterite at Neyveli, gypsum in the Tiruchirappalli Badlands and the Atacama, found by University of Kerala geologists.
- Mars analogue
- melanterite
- gypsum
- Neyveli
- Tiruchirappalli Badlands
- Atacama Desert
- University of Kerala
- DST-FIST
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