NASA said the sample has at least two components. One part was made up of dust distributed globally in dust storms and the other part was fine sand originating more locally.

"Much of Mars is covered with dust, and we had an incomplete understanding of its mineralogy," said David Bish, a NASA co-investigator with Indiana University. "We now know it is mineralogically similar to basaltic material, with significant amounts of feldspar, pyroxene and olivine, which was not unexpected. Roughly half the soil is non-crystalline material, such as volcanic glass or products from weathering of the glass."

He also noted that the soil shows that it went through a transition over time from a wet to dry environment.

"The ancient rocks, such as the conglomerates, suggest flowing water, while the minerals in the younger soil are consistent with limited interaction with water," Bish said.

Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at , on or subscribe to . Her email address is .