Researchers have determined the Martian crust has greater concentrations of the chemical element silicon, which may mean Mars’ original surface may have been similar to Earth’s first crust. The Martian surface is uniformly basaltic, a product of billions of years of volcanism and flowing lava on the surface that eventually cooled. Because Mars did not undergo full-scale surface remodelling like the shifting of continents on Earth, scientists had thought Mars’ crustal history was a relatively simple tale. But in a new study, researchers found locations in the Red Planet’s southern hemisphere with greater concentrations of silicon, a chemical element, than what would be expected in a purely basaltic setting. The silica concentration had been exposed by space rocks that slammed into Mars, excavating material that was embedded miles below the surface, and revealing a hidden past.