Mount Sharp Wind (IMAGE) Princeton University Caption The researchers report that air would have flowed up the crater rim (red arrows) and the flanks of Mount Sharp (yellow arrows) in the morning when the Martian surface warmed, and reversed in the cooler late afternoon. The researchers created a computer model showing that the fine dust carried by these winds could accumulate over time to build a mound the size of Mount Sharp even if the ground were bare from the start. The blue arrows indicate the more variable wind patterns on the floor of the crater, which includes the Curiosity landing site (marked by the "x"). Credit Image by NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/MSSS Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.