Curiosity Rover Captures Stunning Martian Boxwork Formations

NASA's Mars rover documents ancient water-carved ridges on the red planet

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has captured a panoramic view of boxwork formations on the Martian surface, revealing intricate ridges and hollows created billions of years ago by water flowing through cracks in the rock. The 179-image mosaic, taken by Curiosity's Mastcam, showcases the natural beauty of these geological features that have been exposed over eons of wind erosion.

Why it matters

These boxwork formations provide valuable insights into Mars' ancient past, when the planet had a wetter climate and active water systems. Understanding the geological history of Mars is crucial for piecing together the evolution of the solar system and the potential for past or present life on the red planet.

The details

The boxwork formations were created when minerals carried by water hardened in cracks within the rock. As the softer rock around these ridges was gradually worn away by wind over billions of years, the more resistant mineral deposits were left exposed, forming the intricate network of low ridges and hollows seen in Curiosity's panoramic image.

  • Curiosity captured the panorama on September 26, 2025, the 4,671st Martian day of the rover's mission.
  • The boxwork formations themselves were created billions of years ago, when Mars had a wetter climate.

The players

Curiosity Mars Rover

NASA's Curiosity rover is a car-sized Mars rover designed to explore the Gale Crater on Mars as part of the Mars Science Laboratory mission.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

JPL is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in Pasadena, California. JPL manages the Curiosity rover mission on behalf of NASA.

Malin Space Science Systems

Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates the Mastcam instrument on the Curiosity rover, which captured the panoramic images of the boxwork formations.

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The takeaway

Curiosity's stunning panorama of the Martian boxwork formations provides a window into the planet's ancient past, when water flowed across the surface and shaped the geology in ways that are still visible today. This discovery furthers our understanding of Mars' evolution and the potential for past life on the red planet.