Mars on Earth: How Utah’s Fantastical Moqui Marbles Formed

Climbers meandering aimlessly through Utah’s red striped ravines at times go over a weird looking sight. Where the Navajo Sandstone loses its notable peach, orange and red stripes, several round, iron-covered stones regularly litter the ground.

The stony circles are solidifications — sandstone balls established by a hard shell of iron oxide minerals. Frequently called moqui marbles, sections of land of the chocolate-hued rocks are dissipated crosswise over Utah and Arizona. They tumble from the pale, cream-hued Navajo Sandstone beds, when wind and water wash away the gentler shake.

For a considerable length of time, the stones were basically a land peculiarity. At that point, clones were found on Mars (the supposed Martian blueberries). The achievement — among the early proof for water on Mars — supported enthusiasm for Earth’s iron doodads.