Curiosity data shows Gale Crater once a lake
Posted: Wed, Dec 10, 2014, 9:31 AM ET (1431 GMT)
Data collected by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has led scientists to conclude that the crater the rover is exploring was once a lake whose sediments built up the crater's central peak. Project scientists, analyzing data about sedimentary rocks obtained by Curiosity, said that they believe the crater repeatedly filled with water, which later evaporated, early in the planet's history. That process left sediments later sculpted by winds into the mountain at the center of Gale Crater. Curiosity is examining rocks at the base of that mountain, unofficially called Mount Sharp, and plans to drive up the mountain in the next several years to examine other rock layers.
Data collected by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has led scientists to conclude that the crater the rover is exploring was once a lake whose sediments built up the crater's central peak. Project scientists, analyzing data about sedimentary rocks obtained by Curiosity, said that they believe the crater repeatedly filled with water, which later evaporated, early in the planet's history. That process left sediments later sculpted by winds into the mountain at the center of Gale Crater. Curiosity is examining rocks at the base of that mountain, unofficially called Mount Sharp, and plans to drive up the mountain in the next several years to examine other rock layers.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, March 23
A rare encounter: How Juice came to observe 3I/ATLAS
ESA — 4:14 am ET (0814 GMT) Ukraine makes territorial gains as Russia loses Starlink access
Semafor — 4:14 am ET (0814 GMT) State of Vandenberg: Growth, transparency, and a shared future
Santa Maria (CA) Times — 4:10 am ET (0810 GMT) Project Sunrise: Blue Origin's Orbital Data Centre Ambition
AI Magazine — 4:10 am ET (0810 GMT) Elon Musk unveils chip manufacturing plans for SpaceX and Tesla
TechCrunch — 4:08 am ET (0808 GMT) |
