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Ancient sediments provide archives of climate and habitability on Mars. GaleCrater, the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), hosts a 5 kmhigh sedimentary mound. Hypotheses for mound formation include evaporitic,lacustrine, fluviodeltaic, and aeolian processes, but the origin and originalextent of Gale's mound is unknown. Here we show new measurements of sedimentarystrata within the mound that indicate ~3 degree outward dips oriented radiallyaway from the mound center, inconsistent with the first three hypotheses.Moreover, although mounds are widely considered to be erosional remnants of aonce crater-filling unit, we find that the Gale mound's current form is closeto its maximal extent. Instead we propose that the mound's structure,stratigraphy, and current shape can be explained by growth in place near thecenter of the crater mediated by wind-topography feedbacks. Our model shows howsediment can initially accrete near the crater center far from crater-wallkatabatic winds, until the increasing relief of the resulting mound generatesmound-flank slope-winds strong enough to erode the mound. Our results indicatemound formation by airfall-dominated deposition with a limited role forlacustrine and fluvial activity, and potentially limited organic carbonpreservation. Morphodynamic feedbacks between wind and topography are widelyapplicable to a range of sedimentary mounds and ice mounds across the Martiansurface, and possibly other planets.

Growth and form of the mound in Gale Crater, Mars: Slope-wind enhanced erosion and transport