Author: Dima Mikhayev

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The Curiosity rover came across holes in the Mars surface, whose origin astronomers have not yet been able to explain. These small and shallow pits do not resemble anything ever discovered on the Red Planet.

Generally, pits in Martian rocks can usually be easily explained – gravel or small minerals mixed into softer rock resist erosion longer than their surrounding material, but over time they also weathers away, leaving behind small cavities, as explained by Science Alert.

But recently discovered pits differ from those – they are unusually wide and shallow, and there are no rocks or minerals nearby that could be inside these cavities.

The scientific team of the rover became interested in the discoveries and decided to study these openings more closely. The rover's ultrasonic scanner Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) photographed the pits from close range, while Mastcam cameras made overlapping stereo images of the surrounding area. Combining these photos will allow scientists to build three-dimensional models of the surface, which will enable them to measure the shape and depth of the pits and possibly determine the cause of their formation.

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Strange holes may be the result of an unusual erosion process, rock properties, or something completely different. Also researchers noticed rapid changes in the external appearance of mountain rock layers, including rougher gray layers that resist erosion differently compared to neighboring material. This astronomers also cannot explain.

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