Mostly Mute Monday: Curiosity’s first visit to the Martian Dunes

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If you expected them to be like Earth’s dunes, prepare to be surprised!

“Actually I think Art lies in both directions — the broad strokes, big picture but on the other hand the minute examination of the apparently mundane. Seeing the whole world in a grain of sand, that kind of thing.” –Peter Hammill

In order to create sand dunes, a planet needs two things: sand grains of varying sizes and winds capable of carrying them.

*A close-up of the dunes from the Curiosity rover. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSL Curiosity Rover.*

While dunes have been well-studied on Earth, we’ve never visited active ones on another planet until now.

*Close-up photograph of the dunes taken with the MASTCAM instrument. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSL Curiosity Rover.*

Mars has less than 1% of Earth’s atmosphere, yet the winds can move at speeds up to 60 mph (100 kph), a hostile environment for static structures.

*The shifting martian dunes that were the subject of Curiosity’s visit. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSL Curiosity Rover.*

On occasion, wind storms can encircle the entire planet, and dust devils can reshape the terrain.

*A dust devil on Mars, as photographed by the Opportunity rover. Image credit: NASA / JPL / MSSS, via Twitter at* *https://twitter.com/MarsRovers/status/716704342481379328*.

The dunes Curiosity is visiting are found as it ascends Mount Sharp , between lower and higher altitudes.

*The sand dune Bagnold, with the imprint of Curiosity’s rover wheel in the sand. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSL Curiosity Rover.*

These dunes are active, having shifted by multiple meters over the few years we’ve observed them.

*A full-color view of the rocky terrain of Mount Sharp, with the darker, lower dunes in the foreground. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSL Curiosity Rover.*

By roving through them and analyzing them in a hands-on fashion, Curiosity aims to discover a number of properties about them.

*The varied sands in the martian dunes glitter in the sunlight on the Martian surface, next to Curiosity’s tracks and chassis. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSL Curiosity Rover.*

What types of minerals are the martian dunes made of? How finely-and-coarsely grained are the sands? And what chemical (or organic) compounds are inside?

*An annotated view of sand dune Namib on Mars, as imaged by Curiosity. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSL Curiosity Rover.*

Finally, Curiosity will compare less active dunes with more active ones, and look for physical differences.

*The first image of Mount Sharp ever taken from the Martian surface, on August 6th, 2012, from the Curiosity rover. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.*

After this exploration mission, Curiosity is poised to continue its ascent up Mount Sharp.

Mostly Mute Monday tells the story of a single astronomical phenomenon or object primarily in visuals, with no more than 200 words of text.

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Travel the universe with Dr. Ethan Siegel as he answers the biggest questions of all