This is a close-up view of a zone where the soil at Curiosity's landing site was blown away by the thrusters on the rover. The excavation of the soil reveals what is likely bedrock, showing how shallow the soil is in this area. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

This is a close-up view of a zone where the soil at Curiosity's landing site was blown away by the thrusters on the rover. The excavation of the soil reveals what is likely bedrock, showing how shallow the soil is in this area. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) - Image 2 of 22