Martian Soil “Clumpy” – Electrostatic Binding of Dust?

"Scientists liken the alien soil to clumpy cocoa powder."

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

January 19, 2004  Pasadena, California - The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit deployed its robotic arm early Friday morning, January 16, 2004, to use its microscopic imager, one of four geological instruments located on the arm. The instrument will help scientists analyze and understand Martian rocks and soils by taking very high resolution, close-up images. The first surprise was the clumpy nature of the red soil and some planetary geologists wonder if an electrostatic binding of the dust could be at work.