Tag Archives: conglomerate rocks

Hummocky Plains Unit: Flood deposit in Gale Crater

The presence of water on Mars has been theorized for centuries. Early telescopes revealed ice caps, and early astronomers noted channels that were hypothesized to be natural rivers or creature-created canals. (…) Since its landing on the “Red Planet” in … Continue reading

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Curiosity: Bimbe rockpile

Sol 1407, July 21, 2016. The rover’s instrument arm drops from the sky onto a pile of conglomerate rocks at Bimbe, in this (cropped and contrast adjusted) front Hazcam view. Click the image to enlarge it in a new tab. … Continue reading

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Gale Crater river carried pebbles tens of km as bedload on Peace Vallis alluvial fan

Rounded pebbles on Mars were transported for tens of kilometres in a river, suggests a new study published in Nature Communications [October 13, 2015]. This study makes use of a new technique that may help estimate the distance travelled by … Continue reading

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off

Well-rounded pebbles in Gale Crater’s rocks point to longtime stream flow

Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity landed in Gale Crater at a feature called Bradbury Rise, which lies near the far end of the Peace Vallis alluvial fan. The fan is a broad, flat deposit of sand, gravel, and pebbles washed … Continue reading

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Developing a stratigraphic column for Gale Crater’s floor

After more than 100 sols (Martian days) in Gale Crater, NASA’s Curiosity rover has driven some 500 meters (1,600 feet), traversing several rock units. A sketch of the crater floor’s geological history is emerging. On its half-kilometer drive from its … Continue reading

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off