Curiosity spent months studying boxwork ridges—3 to 6 feet tall low ridges with sandy hollows—that extend for miles, resembling giant spiderwebs when seen from orbit. The formations likely formed when mineral-rich groundwater flowed through bedrock fractures, reinforcing some areas while others eroded by wind. This discovery challenges prior expectations about the timing of groundwater presence on Mars and raises questions regarding how long ancient microbial life could have endured before the planet became a frozen desert.
Unlike Earth's typically small cave or dry environment boxwork, Martian boxwork is larger and formed on the surface. Rover drivers carefully navigated to collect close-up data, confirming the physical characteristics and enabling better understanding of the processes that created the distinctive features, crucial for reconstructing Mars's geologic and potentially biologic history.
Source & further reading
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Sees Martian ‘Spiderwebs’ Up Close ↗Source published 2026-02-23. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.