This observation was taken in Miyamoto Crater in southwest Meridiani, an area near the equator of Mars. This image is located to the east of one of the potential Mars Science Laboratory landing sites and is near the contact between the hematite-bearing plains unit to the northeast (where the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is exploring) and the phyllosilicate-bearing unit to the southwest.

Aeolian (wind deposited) processes are active here, which are visible in dunes and ripples, most likely made of basaltic sand. The bedrock contains phyllosilicates (clay minerals), which form in the presence of water. Phyllosilicates have been detected in higher concentrations in other areas of Mars such as Mawrth Vallis and Nili Fossae, but detections of lesser abundance have been noticed in Meridiani as well.

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona. The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey’s ISIS3 software.