Martian soil
Extraterrestrial rusty ground
Martian soil is the loose material covering the surface of Mars, composed of fine dust and rock particles.
Unlike Earth's soil, it contains no organic matter—it's essentially pulverized rock mixed with iron oxides that give Mars its red color.
Scientists often prefer the term "regolith" to avoid implying biological content: The rover analyzed Martian soil samples for signs of past water.
- Curiosity roverMars surface exploration vehicle
- regolithFragmented covering over bedrock
- red planetRust-hued celestial body
- iron oxideFe plus oxygen
- dust stormsWindblown particulate weather events
rust colored · perchlorates · basalt · carbonates · sulfates · olivine · pyroxene · feldspar · porosity · electrostatic charge · silicates · radiation shielding · cohesion · hematite · temperature fluctuations · arid · alien landscape · crater
Martian soilfertile soil
Nutrient-rich growing medium
garden soil · topsoil · humus · loam · rich loam