Tridymite is a mineral of

a. Iron

b. Silicon

c. Copper

d. Aluminium

ANSWER: Silicon

Explanation:

Analysing data from an X-ray diffraction instrument on the Curiosity rover that identifies minerals, scientists detected significant amounts of a silica mineral called tridymite.

It is a high-temperature polymorph of silica found as thin hexagonal crystals in some igneous rocks and stony meteorites.

The combination of high silica content and extremely high temperatures in the volcanoes creates tridymite.

Tridymite is generally associated with silicic volcanism, which is known on Earth but was not thought to be important or even present on Mars.

The discovery of tridymite might induce scientists to rethink the volcanic history of Mars, suggesting that the planet once had explosive volcanoes that led to the presence of the mineral.