MARS THROUGH TIME
Figure 11. Photograph of Ripple Marks supports the existence of running
water on the surface of Mars (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS, 2015). Field of view = 4 meters across.
Figure 9. A photograph of a delta in the Aeolis region of Mars (NASA/JPL/USGS., 2025).
Figure 12. A photograph shows two sizes of wind-sculpted ripples are evident in this view of the top surface of Martian sand dunes and ripples that are similar to the ones that exist on Earth. The larger ripples are roughly 10 feet (3 meters) apart (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS. 2016).
Figure 10. A photograph with a magnified view from Opportunity shows a portion of the Martian rock with fine layers at angles to each other (Cross Bedding). The dark lines trace layers that indicate the sediments (sands) were deposited in flowing water. These sand-sized grains were probably accumu- lated in water at least 5 centimeters (2 inches) deep and flowing at a speed in the range of 10 to 50 centimeters (4 to 20 inches) per second (Photograph, NASA, 2014).
& Head, 2008; Grotzinger & Milliken, 2012). In topographic lows, particularly within enclosed basins, the potential for shallow, semi-permanent seas is supported by sedimentological evidence (Grotzinger & Milliken, 2012).
Sedimentary structures further support aqueous depositional
environments. These include cross-bedding (Fig. 10), ripple marks (Figs. 11 and 12), and fine-scale laminations (Fig. 13), all of which are indicative of sediment reworking by flowing or standing water (Grotzinger & Milliken, 2012; Bibring et al., 2006). The presence of
www.aipg.org
Figure 13. A photograph of evenly layered rock captured by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover (2014). It shows a pattern typical of a lake sedimentary deposit in a low-energy environment. https://scitech-
daily.com/curiosity-reveals-clues-water-helped-shape-landscape-mars/.
hydrated silicate minerals, particularly in association with basin and deltaic deposits (Fig. 6), reinforces the interpretation of persistent surface or near-surface liquid water (Bibring et al., 2006).
Jan.Feb.Mar 2026 • TPG 11
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