What N.W.T.'s Smoking Hills could tell us about Mars

In a remote Arctic coastal area in the Northwest Territories, the smoldering earth is so hot that it will melt your boots. And there, researchers say they have found a mineral formation that could hold clues to understanding Mars and its history. 

The Smoking Hills area between Tuktoyaktuk and Paulatuk, N.W.T., — known as Ingniryuat in Inuvialuit communities— is unusual because it is home to a mineral called jarosite, which is plentiful on the red planet but found in only a few places on Earth.

"You don't see burning rocks all over the world," said Steve Grasby, a scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada, who recently published research on the formations in the journal Chemical Geology. 

The jarosite formations here are being studied to better understand the environment on Mars and how it evolved, and scientists think the timeline suggests the planet could have been more hospitable to life than previously thought. That's because the shale in Ingniryuat were deposited around 83 million years ago in oceans that were "teeming with life," similar to a modern ocean environment, said Grasby.

This suggests that even though jarosite is found in presumably acidic places on Mars, the planet may not have always been acidic — allowing more possibility of life — said Grasby.

"It could be something that happened millions of years later to form those layers, just like in the Smoking Hills," he said.

Future research in the area is planned for, once researchers consult with residents in Paulatuk and Tuktoyaktuk, the communities near the Smoking Hills, Grasby said.

The Smoking Hills area has long been the subject of oral histories, with stories of spirits hiding in the hills and minerals used to cure sick dogs. 

Sitting at the mouth of the Horton River, where it meets the Beaufort Sea, the area is highly acidic and has jarosite layered in low-grade shales.

The ground is unbearably hot.

"I have these nice brand new hiking boots that were, like, expensive leather boots and they're just destroyed," said Grasby. "After two weeks of working there, I just had to throw them out."

Samples taken by the scientists were so acidic that they have a negative pH, and you need protective clothing and respirators with special filter cartridges to cut out the fumes.

The area is more acidic than a mine tailings drainage site, where jarosite is also found.

"It was difficult to even collect samples," he said.