At 15:33:52 UTC the Mastcam Left recorded the traces impressed by one of the rover’s wheels, in a soil that is decidedly humid and therefore as plastic as modelling clay!
Not only are the contours extraordinarily sharp, but even where the soil is rich in pebbles the compactness and cohesion can only be justified by the presence of water.
Evidently, the large presence of moisture in the atmosphere visible in the photo of the previous Sol (see https://www.facebook.com/PianetaMarte.MdM/posts/2974627562620417) is not a simple coincidence but a clear indication of the presence of water, water that is exchanged between the soil and the atmosphere as the temperature changes.
The original image has undergone a reduction of noise due to Jpeg compression, white balance and a slight increase in microcontrast and color saturation in order to make the colors more similar to what the human eye would see.
Original image: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/02780/mcam/2780ML0145550030606349E01_DXXX.jpg
This post has been automatically translated. See the original post here.