For years, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has been exploring the slopes of Mount Sharp inside the Red Planet’s Gale Crater, looking for clues about Mars’ watery past. Recently, Curiosity turned its attention to a landscape of ridges, hollows and nodules that mission team members call “boxwork terrain.”
What is it?
This photo, taken by Curiosity’s Left Navigation Camera, shows the difference in texture of the Martian landscape, with Curiosity’s mast shadow also visible.
Since landing on Mars in August 2012, one of Curiosity’s major missions has been to understand the history recorded in the layers of Martian dirt. Sediments, minerals and textures all tell a story of changing environments: water, wind and possible ancient life. The “boxwork pattern” has become of particular interest to NASA scientists, as Gale Crater hosted rivers and streams in Mars’ early history.
Where is it?
This photo was taken near Mount Sharp, which has an elevation of 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) above the floor of Gale Crater.
Why is it amazing?
The boxwork pattern refers to an area of low-lying ridges of bedrock that resemble a spiderweb shape from space. Orbiting spacecraft flagged these ridges as possibly being created by mineral-rich fluids long ago, which hardened some portions more than others. Then, over deep time, erosion removed the softer rock in between, leaving behind ridges that stand out.
By studying how the ridges, hollows and nodules differ in texture, chemistry, and structure, NASA scientists hope to better understand what early Mars was like and whether it could have hosted ancient life.
Want to learn more?
You can read more about Curiosity’s mission and the continued hunt for clues to possible life on Mars.
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