NASA’s Curiosity rover has indeed captured images of unusual spike-like rock formations in Gale Crater on Mars, most notably in May 2022 (around Sol 3474). These delicate, protruding structures—sometimes described as “wild” or “strange” in popular media—sparked widespread interest due to their striking, almost organic appearance.
Scientific Explanation
Scientists, including those from the SETI Institute and NASA’s mission team, explain them as natural geological features. They are likely cemented fillings of ancient fractures in sedimentary rock. Harder material (such as mineral cements) filled cracks in the bedrock long ago, and over time, wind erosion removed the surrounding softer rock, leaving these resistant spikes standing.
These are often compared to mini-hoodoos (tall, thin spires formed by erosion) seen on Earth, though much smaller and more fragile due to Mars’ thin atmosphere, which allows such delicate structures to persist longer without toppling.
Similar spiked or protruding rocks have been imaged at other times, including in 2023 (around Sol 3786), where they appeared more “bone-like” or branching, but the formation process is the same: differential erosion of layered sedimentary deposits in what was once a water-rich environment in Gale Crater.
There is no evidence suggesting anything artificial or biological; these are consistent with known Martian geology in a crater that once held lakes and experienced groundwater activity billions of years ago.
