25th July 2013 Sol 344

This HiRISE image shows Curiosity at work at the Shaler outcrop in Yellowknife Bay. The tracks from Bradbury landing are also clearly visible.

Thanks to the rover mobility and instrument set we now know that the layers in Yellowknife Bay are sediments, deposited in water.  Understanding the layers in Mars imagery is a big step forward in understanding the evolution of the red planet.  It is now becoming clear that a significant fraction of Mars is covered in sedimentary rocks.  That will prove useful knowledge for future planned rover missions like ExoMars and MSL2020.

I have been working at IRAP, CNES in Toulouse with the ChemCam team for the past few days.