APOD: 2023 May 2 Б Flat Rock Hills on Mars
Explanation:
Why are there so many flat rocks on Mars?
Some views of plains and hills on
Mars show many rocks that are unusually flat when compared to rocks on Earth.
One reason for this is a process that is common to both Mars and Earth:
erosion.
The carbon-dioxide
wind on Mars can act like
sandpaper when it blows around gritty
Martian sand.
This sand can create differential erosion, smoothing over
some rocks, while wearing down the tops of other long-exposed stones.
The featured image capturing
several hills covered with flat-topped rocks was taken last month by NASA's
Curiosity Rover on Mars.
This robotic rover has now been rolling across Mars for ten years and has helped
uncover many details of the wet and
windy past of Earth's planetary neighbor.
After taking this and
other images, Curiosity carefully navigated
stones and slippery sand to climb up
Marker Band Valley.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
