18th March 2014 Sol 574

Quite a lot of the science team is at the 45th Lunar & Planetary Science Conference in Houston.  This conference dates back to the Apollo era and many of the discoveries in planetary science have first been discussed here.  MSL team member’s presentations this year are giving an update on our recent work.  I am presenting on the fluid conditions at Yellowknife Bay.  We suggest that the mineral assemblages, like the clay, that formed at low temperature can be explained by corrosion of olivine and amorphous grains in the mudstone as it was buried and reacted with the pore water.

However, the work of Curiosity continues and as you can see from the image we are rapidly approaching the Kimberley area, part of which will be taken as our stopping point.