NASA’s Curiosity rover captures tiny polygonal features on ancient Martian landscape

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this close-up view. PIC COURTESY/NASA

Mars features ancient, pristine landscapes because it lacks Earth's resurfacing processes like plate tectonics and flowing water. Recently, NASA's Curiosity rover captured images of small, 4-to-8-cm polygonal features.

Similar patterns observed in a 2023 study were linked to intense wet-dry cycles during the Noachian-Hesperian transition 3.6 to 3.8 billion years ago - an era when Mars may have had an Earth-like climate.

Scientists are conducting further research to confirm the exact formation process for these new shapes.

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