Drill targets appear in a new selfie taken by the rover on May 12, 2019, the 2,405th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
Drill targets appear in a new selfie taken by the rover on May 12, 2019, the 2,405th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Clay cache found on Mars

  • by Becky Oskin

Since landing in 2012, NASA’s Curiosity rover has been collecting data about the geology and chemistry of the Martian surface. As a member of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory, geology professor Dawn Sumner helps plan the route Curiosity takes as it explore ancient environments in Gale Crater. 

Two samples the rover recently drilled at rock targets called "Aberlady" and "Kilmarie" have revealed the highest amounts of clay minerals ever found during the mission, according to NASA. 

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College of Letters and Science Research Earth and Planetary Sciences