Arya Udry (Geoscience) published the review article "What Martian Meteorites Reveal About the Interior and Surface of Mars" in Journal of Geophysical Research : Planets.
Scientists learn about the formation and evolution of planets, such as Mars, by studying rock samples. Obtaining rock samples from Mars makes it possible to study them in state-of-the-art laboratories on Earth with high degrees of precision and accuracy. Currently, samples from Mars are obtained as meteorites that have been ejected from the planet. We can study these rocks to learn about volcanic processes and their chemistry and timing in the context of Martian geology. This review paper summarizes the information we have learned about Mars' geology by analyzing Martian meteorites. Most of the data collected provide evidence that the interior of Mars is compositionally varied with high diversity in chemical makeup throughout time. However, most meteorites are relatively young with few older rocks (older than 2.4 billion years old) analyzed to date. The Mars 2020 mission (due to land on Mars on Feb. 18) plans on collecting older samples directly from Mars' surface, in the Jezero crater, for eventual return to Earth, as early as 2031. The study of both meteorites and returned samples is essential to gain a full understanding of the interior composition, evolution, and geological characteristics of different locations on the Red Planet.
