The 'Doorway on Mars' is More Like a Dog Door - by spacewriter
As you can see from the main panorama posted from the rover and the Earth sandstone in the scene below, the break in the rocks is fairly typical of sandstones and bedrock. If you look closely, you can see individual layers in the rocks. The scene is pretty familiar to anyone who’s hiked in desert regions and seen desiccated sandstones or along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains and seen layers of sandstone near the mountains.
We see similar rocks in various locations on Earth where lakes, oceans, and riverbeds have deposited layers of sand. It even happens as a result of wind-driven sand and dust. That action creates sand layers and dunes that eventually harden into rock. So, it’s no surprise to see similar features on Mars, given what we know about its surface. And, as on Earth, sandstone on Mars can erode and break pretty easily.
A 3D anaglyph of the cliffs where Mars Curiosity is traveling. Courtesy NASA/JPL/Mars Curiosity team.
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