Written by Lucy Thompson, planetary scientist and member of the APXS team, New Brunswick University, Canada
Earth planning date: Friday September 5, 2025
Curiosity is in the middle of the boxwork campaign, trying to decipher why we see such crests and hollows pronounced in this field of Mount Sharp. When this terrain was identified for the first time from the orbit, the hypothesis has been issued that the ridges can be the result of cementation by circulating fluids, followed by a differential erosion of the rocky substratum less resistant between the two (the hollows that we observe now).
We have explored the boxwork field documenting the textures, structures and composition to study the potential differences between ridges and hollows. One of the texture characteristics that we have observed are the nodules in variation in abundance. This week, the objective of our activities was to document the transition from the smoother rocky substratum at the top of a boxwork crest with a more nodular rocky substratum associated on the edge of a shallow hollow.
In the Tuesday three -soil plan, we analyzed the smoother rocky substratum in the ridge, documenting the textures with Mahli, Mastcam and Chemcam RMI, and chemistry with Chemcam Libs and Apxs. Curiosity then managed to stick to the edge of the crest / hollow to place the more nodular foundation of our workspace. The three -soil plan on Friday was essentially a repetition of previous observations, but this time focused on the more nodular base. The planned reader should take us to another boxwork crest, and closer to the area where we plan to drill in one of the ridges.
As APX strategic planner this week, I helped select rock targets for analysis by our instrument, ensuring that they were safe and they met the scientific intention of the boxwork campaign. I also communicated to the rest of the team the most recent results of our APXS composition analyzes and how they are part of our boxwork survey. This will help to light our quick decision on where drilling.
The two plans included long -distance RMI Imaging Mastcam and Chemcam of more distant characteristics, including other crests and hollows of boxwork, Buttes, the Yardang unit and the edge of the Gales Crater. Planned environmental activities continue to monitor dust in the atmosphere, dust activity and clouds. REMS, RAD and DAN Standard activities complete the activities of the week.
