(NewsNation) — NASA said it is using a mineralogical marker to better understand ancient climate conditions on Mars.

New data revealed that crystals within the iron oxide mineral hematite can help identify changes in the planet’s early climate. Iron oxides are considered indicators of past water activity.

NASA said the crystals’ shape and structure reflect the conditions in which they formed, including temperature and water pressure.

“What we found was that warm and wet conditions were present for extended periods in buried rocks, despite Mars’ climate becoming colder,” NASA researcher Tanya Peretyazhko said, noting those conditions may have supported habitability for longer than previously believed.

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She added the crystals indicate upper layers were colder and lacked sufficient water.

NASA said it analyzed 20 samples across different elevations in Gale Crater, whose layered walls preserve Mars’ environmental history. Deeper layers capture the planet’s earliest conditions.

“The crystallites didn’t have sufficient time and conditions to grow in size,” Peretyazhko said. “But the lower layers had long-standing warm water that allowed those crystallites to grow.”

Images from NASA also show evidence of ancient rivers and lakes that later gave way to dry dunes.

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