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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Water and waves on Mars

Water and waves on Mars
Water and waves on Mars NASA's Curiosity rover discovered rippled rocks created billions of years ago by waves flowing upon a shallow lake. Despite having climbed through many regions of lake deposits, Curiosity had never previously seen evidence of water and waves this clear. The discovery came as a surprise because this region of Mount Sharp — the 5-kilometer-tall (3-mile-tall) mountain Curiosity is climbing — is thought to have formed as Mars’ climate was growing drier. The rover acquired this image on Dec. 16, 2022 and NASA released it on Feb. 8, 2023. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS