Mars Petrified Sand Dunes. Coincidence? Unlikely!

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/mars-panorama-from-curiosity-shows-petrified-sand-dunes

         On August 27th, 2015 Curiosity’s Mast Camera was able to capture dozens of individual images combined into the photo you see above at the base of Mt. Sharp using two cameras. The color of the Mastcam mosaic was altered to resemble daytime lighting conditions on earth.

         These Mastcam photos show large-scale crossbedding in the sandstones where deposits of sand dunes were formed by wind, then cemented into rock. Curiosity has been closely examining the base of Mount Sharp for clues about the mountain’s past and the current environment. Researchers, in fact, are close to confirm that there is liquid water on the planet although in unknown amounts.

         Is it a coincidence that crossbedding like the one on Mars is also common in the sandstones of the U.S. Southwest? What will Curiosity find next?

         Biology Group: Ines Gonzales, Alexa Jauregui, Maria Rodriguez