Mars Gale Crater layering.

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MRO HiRISE & CRISM have observed layering within the Gale Crater.

Gale Crater, central peak layers

MRO HiRISE article.

What fascinates me is the fact the lower layers appear to be composed of clays / hydrated minerals, yet the top layers where clearly deposited when Mars was much more arid, certainly after the liquid water had gone & the sulphates suggest to me volcanic materials deposited by wind.

It looks like these layers in Gale Crater may be chronologically dated & will give much information about when volcanic activity waned, the atmosphere bled away & also clues as to when the Martian global magnetosphere shut down.

This is surely is now a stronger contender for the MSL Curiosity mission.

Andrew Brown.
 
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moreandless

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Are there hypothesis regarding such a large central peak at Gale crater?
That is an outstanding location for researching Mars environmental epochs.

it is hard to imagine an excavation process that reveals a crater below grade
after having been filled and essentially buried to above datum? hence,taller peak than rim
 
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