Curiosity: I like digging holes. Us: Then you're in the right place. After a summer road trip through the sandy Paraitepuy Pass, pictured above, our Curiosity Mars Rover has arrived at the “sulfate-bearing unit,” a region of Mount Sharp enriched with salty minerals. Scientists have wanted to see this region up close for over 10 years before Curiosity landed! They hypothesize that billions of years ago, streams and ponds left behind the minerals as the water dried up. Assuming the hypothesis is correct, these minerals offer tantalizing clues as to how – and why – the Red Planet’s climate changed from being more Earth-like to the frozen desert it is today. Soon after arriving, the rover discovered a diverse array of rock types and signs of past water, including nodules and minerals such as magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt is one kind), calcium sulfate (including gypsum), and sodium chloride (ordinary table salt). For the mission’s 36th drill sample, Curiosity gathered a sample from a rock nicknamed “Canaima.” The mission’s scientists look forward to analyzing portions of the sample with the Chemical and Minerology instrument and the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument. By the way, this is just one part of the panorama. To see the whole image, visit @nasajpl. Image Description: A close up of a panoramic view taken by Curiosity shows the Paraitepuy Pass, snaking between several rocky mounds. Rocks of various shapes and sizes litter the narrow, sandy path that extends into the distance. In the foreground, the rover’s armrest with the name “Curiosity” on it hovers above reddish sand. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS #Holes #Curiosity #Mars #MarsRover #Rocks #Geology #NASA