 Hottahrock outcrop on Mars - an ancientstreambed[1][2][3] viewed by theCuriosity rover (September 12, 2012,white balanced) (close-up) (3-D version). | |
| Feature type | Rock outcrop |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 4°35′S137°26′E / 4.59°S 137.44°E /-4.59; 137.44 |
Hottah is arock outcrop on the surface ofAeolis Palus, betweenPeace Vallis andAeolis Mons ("Mount Sharp"), inGale crater on the planetMars.[1][2][3]
The outcrop was encountered by theCuriosity rover on the way fromBradbury Landing toGlenelg Intrigue on September 14, 2012 (the 39thsol of the mission), and was named afterHottah Lake, the sixth largestlake in theNorthwest Territories,Canada. The "approximate" site coordinates are:4°35′S137°26′E / 4.59°S 137.44°E /-4.59; 137.44.
The outcrop is awell-sortedgravelconglomerate, containing well-rounded, smooth,abraded pebbles. Occasional pebbles up to a few centimeters across are embedded in amongst amatrix of finer rounded particles, up to a centimeter across. It has been interpreted as afluvialsediment, deposited by a vigorously flowing stream, probably between ankle and waist deep. This stream is part of an ancientalluvial fan, which descends from the steep terrain at the rim of Gale crater across its floor.[2]
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