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pennyfournasa:

“This is the first confirmation of sedimentary conglomerates on another planet.” - Rebecca M.E. Williams of the Planetary Science Institute.

NASA’s Curiosity rover found evidence of exposed bedrock made up of smaller fragments cemented together, commonly referred to by geologists as a sedimentary conglomerate. These rocks are the first ever found on Mars that contain streambed gravels.

“These conglomerates look amazingly like streambed deposits on Earth,” Williams added. “Most people are familiar with rounded river pebbles. Maybe you’ve picked up a smoothed, round rock to skip across the water. Seeing something so familiar on another world is exciting and also gratifying.”

The size, shape, and arrangement of the rocks discovered by Curiosity display the telltale signs of water transport through a stream that potentially stretched for a few miles and likely was ankle-deep. Sanjeev Gupta, of the London-based Imperial College, added this:

“The rounding indicates sustained flow. It occurs as pebbles hit each other multiple times. This wasn’t a one-off flow. It was sustained, certainly more than weeks or months, though we can’t say exactly how long.”

NASA plans to further explore the region where these conglomerates were located, known as the Gale Crater. This region has been identified to once have conditions that would be favorable for microbial life. 

Check out this recent 360 degree panoromic of Mars from the “eyes” of Curiosity: http://www.360cities.net/image/mars-gigapixel-panorama-curiosity-solar-days-136-149#-5.92,-3.62,42.5

Read more about the Martian sedimentary conglomerates: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20130530f.html

(Source: ashlandrenee)