Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
Curiosity at Gale crater, Mars: characterization and analysis of the Rocknest sand shadow
D F Blake1, R V Morris, G Kocurek
1National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA. david.blake@nasa.gov
Abstract:
The Rocknest aeolian deposit is similar to aeolian features analyzed by the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) Spirit and Opportunity. The fraction of sand <150 micrometers in size contains ~55% crystalline material consistent with a basaltic heritage and ~45% x-ray amorphous material. The amorphous component of Rocknest is iron-rich and silicon-poor and is the host of the volatiles (water, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and chlorine) detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument and of the fine-grained nanophase oxide component first described from basaltic soils analyzed by MERs. The similarity between soils and aeolian materials analyzed at Gusev Crater, Meridiani Planum, and Gale Crater implies locally sourced, globally similar basaltic materials or globally and regionally sourced basaltic components deposited locally at all three locations.
Related Concept Videos
Torque Free Motion
Impact: Problem Solving
By designating the launch point as the origin and utilizing kinematic equations, the vertical component of the projectile's velocity at the point of impact is...
Relative Motion Analysis using Rotating Axes
However, to express the relative position of point B relative to point A, an additional frame of reference, denoted as x'y', is necessary. This additional frame not only translates but also rotates relative to the fixed frame, making it instrumental in...
Relative Motion Analysis using Rotating Axes-Problem Solving
Here, in order to determine the magnitude of velocity and acceleration for point...
Energy of a Satellite in a Circular Orbit
Apparent Weight and the Earth's Rotation
For an object on the Earth's equator, the net centripetal force that accounts for its rotation is the Earth's pull towards its center, or the weight minus the normal force that prevents it from piercing into the Earth's surface. This force,...
