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Martian regolith
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<p>Martian regolith is the fine blanket of unconsolidated, loose, heterogeneous superficial deposits covering the surface of <a href="/facts/Mars/AQGtVvz0">Mars</a>. The term <i>Martian soil</i> typically refers to the finer fraction of regolith. So far, no samples have been returned to Earth, the goal of a <a href="/facts/Mars_sample-return_mission/bmeKlg5T">Mars sample-return mission</a>, but the soil has been studied remotely with the use of <a href="/facts/Mars_rover/6ueforXf">Mars rovers</a> and <a href="/facts/Mars_orbiter/l1zQPcfc">Mars orbiters</a>. Its properties can differ significantly from those of terrestrial <a href="/facts/Soil/5Ddpr3QM">soil</a>, including its toxicity due to the presence of <a href="/facts/Perchlorate/WCC53zS2">perchlorates</a>. </p>