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An Earth Analog to Mars' Yellowknife Bay

This set of images shows a modern terrestrial analog to the "Yellowknife Bay" area that NASA's Curiosity rover is exploring.

March 12, 2013

This set of images shows a modern terrestrial analog to the "Yellowknife Bay" area that NASA's Curiosity rover is exploring. At left is a sampling pit exposing clay-bearing lake sediments, deposited in a basaltic basin in southern Australia. At right is a core sample from the lakebed, showing clay-rich, layered sediments. Different layers correspond to changing mineral compositions, a reflection of changing lake chemistry and environmental conditions over geologic time. The felt-tip pen is included for scale.

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NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames

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