Mars panorama from Curiosity shows petrified sand dunes

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SUMMARY

The recent panorama captured by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover reveals petrified sand dunes in the Stimson unit, characterized by dark sandstone exhibiting textures and inclined bedding structures indicative of ancient sand dune deposits. This unit overlays a layer of mudstone, which was formed in a lake environment, providing critical insights into the geological history of Mount Sharp. Curiosity's exploration of progressively younger layers aims to uncover evidence of environmental changes, particularly regarding the presence of water on Mars.

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Mars panorama from Curiosity shows petrified sand dunes

Some of the dark sandstone in an area being explored by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows texture and inclined bedding structures characteristic of deposits that formed as sand dunes, then were cemented into rock.

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The Stimson unit overlies a layer of mudstone that was deposited in a lake environment. Curiosity has been examining successively higher and younger layers of Mount Sharp, starting with the mudstone at the mountain's base, for evidence about changes in the area's ancient environment.

So more evidence of water on Mars?
 

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