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Aeolis Mons
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The rover Curiosity landed on August 6, 2012, near the base of Aeolis Mons.
LocationGale crater on Mars
Coordinates5°05′S 137°51′E / 5.08°S 137.85°E / -5.08; 137.85
PeakAeolis Mons – 5.5 km (3.4 mi) 18,045 ft (5,500 m)[1]
DiscovererNASA in the 1970s
EponymAeolis Mons – Aeolis albedo feature
Mount Sharp – Robert P. Sharp (1911–2004)

Mount Sharp, officially Aeolis Mons (/ˈiːəlɪs mɒnz/), is a mountain on Mars. It forms the central peak within Gale crater and is located around 5°05′S 137°51′E / 5.08°S 137.85°E / -5.08; 137.85, rising 5.5 km (18,000 ft) high from the valley floor. Its ID in the United States Geological Survey's Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature is 15000.[2]

On August 6, 2012, Curiosity (the Mars Science Laboratory rover) landed in "Yellowknife" Quad 51[3][4][5][6] of Aeolis Palus,[7] next to the mountain. NASA named the landing site Bradbury Landing on August 22, 2012.[8] Aeolis Mons is a primary goal for scientific study.[9] On June 5, 2013, NASA announced that Curiosity would begin an 8 km (5.0 mi) journey from the Glenelg area to the base of Aeolis Mons. On November 13, 2013, NASA announced that an entryway the rover would traverse on its way to Aeolis Mons was to be named "Murray Buttes", in honor of planetary scientist Bruce C. Murray (1931–2013).[10] The trip was expected to take about a year and would include stops along the way to study the local terrain.[11][12][13]

On September 11, 2014, NASA announced that Curiosity had reached Aeolis Mons, the rover mission's long-term prime destination.[14][15] Possible recurrent slope lineae, wet brine flows, were reported on Mount Sharp near Curiosity in 2015.[16] In June 2017, NASA reported that an ancient striated lake had existed in Gale crater that could have been favorable for microbial life.[17][18][19]

Formation

[edit]

The mountain appears to be an enormous mound of eroded sedimentary layers sitting on the central peak of Gale. It rises 5.5 km (18,000 ft) above the northern crater floor and 4.5 km (15,000 ft) above the southern crater floor, higher than the southern crater rim. The sediments may have been laid down over an interval of 2 billion years,[20] and may have once completely filled the crater. Some of the lower sediment layers may have originally been deposited on a lake bed,[20] while observations of possibly cross-bedded strata in the upper mound suggest aeolian processes.[21] However, this issue is debated,[22][23] and the origin of the lower layers remains unclear.[21] If katabatic wind deposition played the predominant role in the emplacement of the sediments, as suggested by reported 3 degree radial slopes of the mound's layers, erosion would have come into play largely to place an upper limit on the mound's growth.[24][25]

On December 8, 2014, a panel of NASA scientists discussed (archive 62:03) the latest observations of Curiosity about how water may have helped shape the landscape of Mars, including Aeolis Mons, and had a climate long ago that could have produced long-lasting lakes at many Martian locations.[26][27][28]

On October 8, 2015, NASA confirmed that lakes and streams existed in Gale crater 3.3 - 3.8 billion years ago delivering sediments to build up the lower layers of Mount Sharp.[29][30]

On February 1, 2019, NASA scientists reported that Curiosity had determined, for the first time, the density of Mount Sharp in Gale crater, thereby establishing a clearer understanding of how the mountain was formed.[31][32]

Size comparisons

[edit]
Mons Hadley, on the Moon, is 4.5 km (15,000 ft) high. Here it is being visited by the Apollo 15 lunar rover.[33]
Mountain km high
Aeolis 5.5
Huygens 5.5
Denali 5.5 (btp)
Blanc 4.8 (asl)
Uhuru 4.6 (btp)
Fuji 3.8 (asl)
Zugspitze 3

Aeolis Mons is 5.5 km (18,000 ft) high, about the same height as Mons Huygens, the tallest lunar mountain, and taller than Mons Hadley visited by Apollo 15. The tallest mountain known in the Solar System is in Rheasilvia crater on the asteroid Vesta, which contains a central mound that rises 22 km (14 mi; 72,000 ft) high; Olympus Mons on Mars is nearly the same height, at 21.9 km (13.6 mi; 72,000 ft) high.

In comparison, Mount Everest rises to 8.8 km (29,000 ft) altitude above sea level (asl), but is only 4.6 km (15,000 ft) (base-to-peak) (btp).[34] Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro is about 5.9 km (19,000 ft) altitude above sea level to the Uhuru peak;[35] also 4.6 km base-to-peak.[36] America's Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, has a base-to-peak of 5.5 km (18,000 ft).[37] The Franco-Italian Mont Blanc/Monte Bianco is 4.8 km (16,000 ft) in altitude above sea level,[38][39] Mount Fuji, which overlooks Tokyo, Japan, is about 3.8 km (12,000 ft) altitude. Compared to the Andes, Aeolis Mons would rank outside the hundred tallest peaks, being roughly the same height as Argentina's Cerro Pajonal; the peak is higher than any above sea level in Oceania, but base-to peak it is considerably shorter than Hawaii's Mauna Kea and its neighbors.

Name

[edit]

Discovered in the 1970s,[citation needed] the mountain remained unnamed for several decades. When Gale crater became a candidate landing site, the mountain was given various labels e.g. in 2010 a NASA photo caption called it "Gale crater mound".[40] In March 2012, NASA unofficially named it "Mount Sharp", after American geologist Robert P. Sharp.[1][41]

Comparison of Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons) to the sizes of three large mountains on Earth.

Since 1919 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has been the official body responsible for planetary nomenclature. Under its long-established rules for naming features on Mars, mountains are named after the classical albedo feature in which they are located, not after people. In May 2012 the IAU officially named the mountain Aeolis Mons after the Aeolis albedo feature.[42] It also gave the name Aeolis Palus to the plain located on the crater floor between the northern wall of Gale and the northern foothills of the mountain.[1][43][44][45] The IAU's choice of name is supported by the United States Geological Survey.[44] Martian craters are named after deceased scientists, so in recognition of NASA and Sharp, at the same time the IAU named "Robert Sharp", a large crater (150 km (93 mi) diameter) located about 260 km (160 mi) west of Gale.[46]

NASA and the European Space Agency[47] continue to refer to the mountain as "Mount Sharp" in press conferences and press releases. This is similar to their use of other informal names, such as the Columbia Hills near one of the Mars Exploration Rover landing sites.

In August 2012, the magazine Sky & Telescope ran an article explaining the rationale of the two names and held an informal poll to determine which one was preferred by their readers. Over 2700 people voted, with Aeolis Mons winning by 57% to Mount Sharp's 43%.[41]

Spacecraft exploration

[edit]
Main article: Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory
Geology map – from the crater floor in Aeolis Palus up the slopes of Aeolis Mons
(September 11, 2014).
Rocks in "Hidden Valley" near the "Pahrump Hills" on the slopes of Aeolis Mons as viewed from Curiosity
(September 11, 2014; white balanced).

On December 16, 2014, NASA reported detecting, based on measurements by the Curiosity rover, an unusual increase, then decrease, in the amounts of methane in the atmosphere of the planet Mars; as well as, detecting Martian organic chemicals in powder drilled from a rock by the rover. Also, based on deuterium to hydrogen ratio studies, much of the water at Gale Crater on Mars was found to have been lost during ancient times, before the lakebed in the crater was formed; afterwards, large amounts of water continued to be lost.[48][49][50]

On June 1, 2017, NASA reported that the Curiosity rover provided evidence of an ancient lake in Gale crater on Mars that could have been favorable for microbial life; the ancient lake was stratified, with shallows rich in oxidants and depths poor in oxidants; and, the ancient lake provided many different types of microbe-friendly environments at the same time. NASA further reported that the Curiosity rover will continue to explore higher and younger layers of Mount Sharp in order to determine how the lake environment in ancient times on Mars became the drier environment in more modern times.[17][18][19]

On August 5, 2017, NASA celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Curiosity landing, and related exploratory accomplishments, on the planet Mars.[51][52] (Videos: Curiosity's First Five Years (02:07); Curiosity's POV: Five Years Driving (05:49); Curiosity's Discoveries About Gale Crater (02:54))

On April 11, 2019, NASA announced that Curiosity had drilled into, and closely studied, a "clay-bearing unit" which, according to the rover Project Manager, is a "major milestone" in Curiosity's journey up Mount Sharp.[53]

Mars Curiosity rover explores Mount Sharp (May 15, 2019)

In January 2023, Curiosity viewed and studied the "Cacao" meteorite.

Curiosity views the "Cacao" meteorite (28 January 2023)

In August 2023, Curiosity explored the upper Gediz Vallis Ridge.[54][55] A panoramic view of the ridge is here, and a 3D rendered view is here.

The path of Curiosity to Gediz Vallis Ridge and beyond (August 2023)

Curiosity mission

[edit]
See also: Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory § Arrival at Mount Sharp
Curiosity at Mount Sharp
Self-portrait of Curiosity at the Mojave site (January 31, 2015).

As of November 1, 2025, Curiosity has been on the planet Mars for 4706 sols (4834 total days) since landing on August 6, 2012. Since September 11, 2014, Curiosity has been exploring the slopes of Mount Sharp,[14][15] where more information about the history of Mars is expected to be found.[56] As of January 26, 2021, the rover has traveled over 24.15 km (15.01 mi) and climbed over 327 m (1,073 ft) in elevation[57][58][59] to, and around, the mountain base since landing at "Bradbury Landing" in August 2012.[57][58]

Curiosity exploring the slopes of Mount Sharp.[14][15]
Close-up map - planned route from "Dingo Gap" to "Kimberley" (KMS-9) (HiRISE image)
(February 18, 2014/Sol 547).
Traverse map - Curiosity has traveled over 21.92 km (13.62 mi) since leaving its "start" point in Yellowknife Bay on July 4, 2013 (now beyond the "3-sigma safe-to-land ellipse" border) (HiRISE image)
(March 3, 2020/Sol 2692).
Context map - Curiosity's trip to Mount Sharp (star = landing)
(August 22, 2019/Sol 2504).
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona


Location map - Curiosity rover at the base of Mount Sharp - as viewed from Space (MRO; HiRISE; March 3, 2020/Sol 2692).
Curiosity's view of "Mount Sharp" (September 20, 2012; white balanced) (raw color).
Curiosity's view of "Mount Sharp" (September 9, 2015).
Curiosity's view of Mars sky at sunset (February 2013; Sun simulated by artist).
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See also

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References

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Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Mount Sharp

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Mount Sharp, officially known as Aeolis Mons, is a 5.5-kilometer (3.4-mile)-high mountain located at the center of Gale Crater on Mars, a 154-kilometer (96-mile)-wide impact crater formed over 3 billion years ago. Named after American geologist Robert P. Sharp, it consists of layered sedimentary rocks that preserve a record of Mars' environmental evolution, from ancient wet conditions to drier climates. Since August 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover has been ascending its lower slopes, analyzing these layers to investigate the planet's geological and potential habitability history. The mountain's formation is tied to post-impact sedimentation in Gale Crater, where materials were deposited over tens of millions of years, possibly in a large lake or through wind and groundwater processes, before erosion sculpted the remaining mound. Its stratified layers, visible from orbit and in rover images, alternate between mudstone, sandstone, and sulfate-rich deposits, indicating cycles of water flow, evaporation, and mineral precipitation billions of years ago. Key discoveries include clay minerals and hematite formed in aqueous environments, suggesting Mount Sharp's base was once part of a habitable lake system during Mars' Noachian and Hesperian periods. Curiosity's ongoing exploration, using instruments like the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) and (APXS), has revealed diverse terrains such as sulfate-bearing units and boxwork patterns formed by ancient , providing clues to how water shaped the landscape before Mars lost much of its atmosphere. These findings link Mount Sharp's to broader questions about Mars' transition from a potentially life-supporting world to its current arid state, influencing future missions like the Mars Sample Return.

Physical Characteristics

Location and Dimensions

Mount Sharp, also known as Aeolis Mons, is located at approximately 5.08°S 137.85°E within Gale Crater in the Aeolis quadrangle of Mars. It forms the central mound of this ancient impact crater, which has a diameter of 154 kilometers and dates to 3.5–3.8 billion years ago during the late Noachian epoch. The mound rises about 5.5 kilometers (18,000 feet) above the crater floor, with its base spanning an approximate diameter of 80 kilometers. This elevation makes Mount Sharp a prominent feature in the crater's interior, comparable in scale to some of Earth's major peaks relative to their bases. Its slopes are characterized by layered sedimentary deposits, with the basal units consisting primarily of mudstones and sandstones formed from ancient aqueous and eolian processes. These layers provide evidence of the region's geological history, though their detailed reveals varying depositional environments over time.

Size Comparisons

Mount Sharp rises approximately 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) above the floor of Gale Crater, providing a dramatic sense of scale within the Martian landscape. This height can be contextualized through comparisons to prominent Earth mountains, as illustrated by NASA. Mount Sharp surpasses the elevation of Mount Rainier in Washington state, which stands at 4.4 kilometers above sea level, but falls short of Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) in Alaska at 6.2 kilometers and Mount Everest in the Himalayas at 8.8 kilometers. These comparisons highlight Mount Sharp's intermediate stature among major peaks, measured from its base on the crater floor rather than sea level. From base to summit, Mount Sharp is also shorter than Mauna Kea in Hawaii, which measures about 10 kilometers when including its submerged portion. NASA's visual analogies emphasize the distinct profile of Mount Sharp, with its broad, layered sedimentary form rising gradually, in contrast to the steeper, more conical shapes of the volcanic Earth mountains like Rainier, , and . Gale Crater itself spans 154 kilometers (96 miles) in diameter, a scale comparable to large terrestrial basins, positioning Mount Sharp as a central mound analogous to an isolated island feature amid expansive surroundings.

Geological Formation

Origin and Evolution

Mount Sharp, located within Gale Crater on Mars, originated from the impact event that formed the crater approximately 3.8 to 3.6 billion years ago during the Late Noachian to Early Hesperian epochs. This massive collision created a basin roughly 154 kilometers in diameter, which subsequently served as a depositional environment for sediments transported by ancient fluvial and lacustrine processes. Over millions of years following the impact, the crater filled with layered sediments derived from surrounding highlands, including fine-grained materials settled in persistent lakes and coarser deposits from river deltas, building a substantial sedimentary pile that eventually reached thicknesses of several kilometers. The evolutionary history of Mount Sharp involved initial deposition in a lake-dominated basin, where episodic water inflows from the crater rim facilitated the accumulation of stratified sediments over an extended period spanning the Hesperian epoch. Subsequent erosional processes, primarily driven by wind but also influenced by episodic water flows, progressively stripped away the upper portions of the sedimentary fill, exhuming the central mound while preserving its layered structure. These eolian and fluvial erosion rates, estimated at 5–37 micrometers per year, sculpted the landscape over hundreds of millions of years, reducing the original fill to the current 5.5-kilometer-high remnant by the onset of the Amazonian period. Scientific consensus holds that Mount Sharp is not a volcanic edifice but a sedimentary remnant resulting from differential , where more resistant layers in the central mound endured while softer surrounding materials were preferentially removed. This hypothesis is supported by orbital imagery revealing sub-parallel sedimentary units rather than igneous features. Age constraints for the base layers, derived from crater counting on exposed surfaces, place their deposition at the Noachian-Hesperian boundary, approximately 3.7 to 3.0 billion years ago, with the mound achieving near-modern form before 3 billion years ago.

Stratigraphic Layers

Mount Sharp, the central mound within Gale crater on Mars, consists of a ~5 km thick stack of sedimentary layers that record a prolonged history of deposition and environmental change. The basal unit, the Murray Formation, comprises finely laminated mudstones interpreted as lacustrine deposits from ancient lakes, indicating persistent wet conditions during the Hesperian period. Overlying the Murray Formation are strata rich in clays, reflecting aqueous alteration processes, followed by sulfate-bearing evaporites that suggest episodic drying and evaporation in shallow water bodies. Higher in the sequence, units include sandstones associated with fluvial and deltaic environments, marking shifts toward more intermittent water activity before transitioning to drier, possibly aeolian-dominated deposition in the upper layers. The stratigraphic sequence spans the epoch (approximately 3.7 to 3.0 billion years ago), recording environmental changes over about 700 million years, with the basal layers deposited at the –Hesperian boundary. This vertical progression, exposed through differential erosion, reveals a total thickness of about 5 km, with the lower ~800 m dominated by the Murray Formation and overlying clay-rich units, transitioning upward through ~700 m of layered -bearing strata to thinner sandstone-dominated intervals. The transitions between these layers highlight repeated cycles of wetting and drying, with the sulfate units representing a key marker of increasing . Mineralogically, the layers exhibit distinct zoning that underscores the evolving aqueous chemistry on Mars. Lower sections, including the Murray Formation, are enriched in clays such as smectites, pointing to neutral to alkaline water interactions conducive to ; recent analyses have also identified in the Murray Formation, formed through of iron-rich minerals in neutral to alkaline waters, indicating localized precipitation during wet periods. Middle strata feature sulfates like , jarosite, and Mg-sulfates, formed through in acidic, sulfate-rich waters. Higher units show silica-rich compositions, likely from late-stage diagenetic fluids, with sandstones indicating mechanical deposition in fluvial settings. This zoning provides a record of Mars' global climatic shift from a potentially habitable, water-abundant world to an arid desert environment.

Naming and Discovery

Historical Context

The central mound in Gale Crater, later known as Mount Sharp, was first imaged by NASA's Viking 1 orbiter in 1976 as part of its global survey of Mars' surface, revealing a prominent topographic feature amid layered deposits within the 154-kilometer-wide impact basin. Subsequent analysis of Viking imagery in the late 1970s identified the mound as a complex structure potentially formed by aeolian or volcanic processes, marking it as a site of interest for understanding Martian sedimentation. By the 1980s, integrated mapping efforts using Viking data further recognized the mound's significance as a central sedimentary accumulation, with interpretations suggesting diverse origins including fluvial and mass-wasting contributions. Orbital observations from NASA's , which arrived at Mars in 1997, provided higher-resolution imaging and altimetry data that highlighted the mound's extensive stratified layers, spanning up to 5 kilometers in thickness and preserving a potential record of environmental evolution from the to epochs. These layered sediments, exposed in stair-stepped outcrops, were deemed ideal for studies due to their potential to preserve a record of environmental evolution, including possible water-related processes. Gale Crater emerged as a leading candidate for rover exploration during the Mars Science Laboratory site selection process, which narrowed finalists in 2008–2009 from over 50 options based on scientific value, safety, and accessibility. It was ultimately chosen in 2011 over alternatives like Holden Crater, which offered alluvial fans but lacked the vertical stratigraphic diversity of Gale's mound, allowing a rover to traverse and sample billions of years of geological history in a single location. Prior to this, the feature was descriptively termed the "central mound" in scientific literature, reflecting its position and composition until informally renamed in 2012.

Etymology

The official name of the central mound in Gale Crater on Mars is Aeolis Mons, approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on May 16, 2012. This name derives from the classical albedo feature Aeolis, referencing the ancient Greek region of Aeolis in northwestern Asia Minor (modern-day western Turkey), which aligns with the nearby landing site in Aeolis Palus. The informal name Mount Sharp was adopted by NASA in March 2012, ahead of the Curiosity rover's landing, to honor Robert P. Sharp (1911–2004), an influential American geologist and pioneer in planetary science who taught generations of researchers at the California Institute of Technology. This naming reflects NASA's tradition of using provisional, descriptive monikers for Martian features to pay tribute to deceased scientists, similar to how other planetary landforms are informally designated before formal IAU ratification. The enclosing Gale Crater, within which Aeolis Mons rises, received its IAU-approved name in 1991, honoring Australian amateur astronomer Walter F. Gale (1865–1945), known for his observations of Mars in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Spacecraft Exploration

Curiosity Rover Mission

The Curiosity rover, part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, landed successfully in Aeolis Palus within Gale Crater on August 6, 2012, using a novel sky crane maneuver to place it approximately 12 kilometers northeast of the base of Mount Sharp. The mission's primary objective was to investigate the habitability of ancient Martian environments by traversing and ascending the layered terrain of Mount Sharp over an initial prime mission duration of at least two Earth years, which has since been extended indefinitely to continue long-term exploration. From its initial touchdown at Bradbury Landing, the rover has methodically climbed the lower slopes of the mountain, targeting stratigraphic units to sample diverse geological contexts. As of November 2025, has traveled approximately 36 kilometers across the Martian surface, progressing from the landing site through challenging terrains including the Gediz Vallis channel and onto sulfate-rich units along the Gediz Vallis ridge. This journey involves daily (sol-by-sol) activity planning by engineers at NASA's (JPL), who command the rover to navigate obstacles while maximizing scientific output within power and communication constraints. Key operational challenges include traversing steep inclines up to 23 degrees, slippery sand dunes, and wheel-damaging rocks, which have required adaptive and occasional route adjustments to preserve the rover's mobility after more than 4,700 Martian sols. Among its technical achievements, has drilled and collected powder from over 44 rock samples using its robotic arm-mounted drill, enabling onboard analysis of subsurface materials. instruments such as the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) for , the Mastcam stereo cameras for imaging and 3D mapping, and the (APXS) for elemental composition have facilitated contactless characterization of targets during traversal. In August 2025, marking the 13-year anniversary of its , the mission team uploaded software enhancements to boost the rover's , allowing it to perform multitasking operations—like simultaneous driving and instrument use—while entering energy-saving sleep modes to extend its operational lifespan amid declining nuclear power output.

Scientific Discoveries

NASA's Curiosity rover has uncovered compelling evidence of past habitability in the lower layers of Mount Sharp, particularly through the detection of organic molecules preserved in ancient mudstones. In 2018, analysis of samples from the Yellowknife Bay formation revealed complex organic compounds, including thiophenes and other carbon-based molecules, embedded in 3-billion-year-old lacustrine mudstones, indicating that the environment could have supported microbial life. These findings suggest that the mudstones formed in a habitable lakebed environment approximately 3.5 billion years ago, with neutral pH waters rich in sulfur and nitrogen compounds essential for life. While no direct signs of life have been identified, these organics represent potential building blocks, preserved despite subsequent alteration by water and radiation. Curiosity's investigations have also illuminated Mars' climatic evolution, revealing a transition from a wetter past to arid conditions recorded in Mount Sharp's stratigraphic sequence. The rover's 2014 observations confirmed that water played a dominant role in shaping the mountain's landscape, with cross-bedded sediments indicating deposition in a vast lake that filled Gale Crater over tens of millions of years. Higher up the slopes, sulfate-rich layers, such as those in the Murray formation, mark episodes of evaporating water bodies, signaling a shift to drier environments as the planet's atmosphere thinned. These sulfate minerals, formed through the precipitation of salts from receding lakes, provide a chemical record of increasing aridity around 3.5 billion years ago. In 2025, Curiosity's ongoing ascent yielded significant updates on Mars' ancient atmosphere and geochemical processes. In April, drill samples from three sites revealed substantial carbon deposits in the form of , an comprising 5-10% of the rock, suggesting a CO2-rich atmosphere that supported liquid on the surface billions of years ago. This discovery resolves the long-standing "missing carbonates" puzzle by indicating that carbon was sequestered subsurface through an active , where carbonates formed and partially decomposed, releasing CO2 back to the atmosphere. By September, the rover's of boxwork patterns—intricate, weblike ridges spanning miles across Mount Sharp's foothills—provided evidence of mineral precipitation driven by ancient flows, potentially creating subsurface niches suitable for preserving organic material. As of November 2025, continued drilling in the boxwork unit, including samples from sites like , has yielded further insights into these processes. Collectively, these discoveries portray Mount Sharp's layers as a chronicle of global drying on early Mars, from habitable lakes to sulfate-dominated deserts, without evidence of past but with abundant chemical precursors. The findings underscore the mountain's value in reconstructing , highlighting cycles of water, carbon, and mineral alteration that shaped the Red Planet's surface.

References

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