Curiosity update: An oasis of rock in a sea of pebbles

NLB_613750109EDR_F0760832NCAM00285M_-br2Sols 2437-39, June 14, 2019, update by MSL scientist Catherine O’Connell-Cooper: We are investigating the ridges which are such a prominent feature in this section of Glen Torridon. The ridges appear to be composed of sand and pebbles, capped with layered bedrock (see image above). The Rover Planners (RPs) at JPL assessed the ridge imaged, known as “Teal,” and gave a GO for driving up onto it. We broke the ascent into two drives, aiming to get halfway in yestersol’s plan (sol 2436) and the rest of the way in this weekend’s plan. The RPs got us exactly to where we wanted to be for this plan, and we ended up on a very small outcrop of more coherent bedrock, surrounded by pebbles and sand.

Those of us in the Geology theme group (GEO) were very excited to find ourselves here, as this is the most substantial piece of bedrock we have seen this week. APXS will analyze the “Iapetus” target on the bedrock, and do a 2-point raster “Almond” across small grey pebbles and sand. The rover was too close… [More at link]

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