Today’s plan at the “Glasgow” site focuses on collecting chemistry data with ChemCam and CheMin. The plan includes a one-hour science block with ChemCam observations of three nearby targets: bedrock target “Gutcher,” nodular bedrock target “Lochbuie,” and vein target “Thistle Street.” The name “Lochbuie” may sound familiar as Curiosity has analyzed several bedrock targets with nodules in the past few weeks, showing varying amounts of them. The fractured bedrock in this area is of interest to the science team, who want to assess if the concentration and chemistry of nodules vary with distance from nearby fractures.
To maintain continuity, targets in this vicinity have been given names containing “Loch,” with Lochbuie now part of the list that includes “Loch na Keal,” “Loch Olabhat,” “Loch Trool,” and “Bishops Loch.” An image of the nodular texture in the “Loch Olabhat 2” target, captured by ChemCam’s Remote Micro Imager, shows small, dark laser pits created by ChemCam tracking horizontally across the nodule-rich rock in the center-right of the image. This data will provide valuable insights into the geology and chemistry of the area.