This image shows sand in the Martian terrain.
Click on image for full size
Image from: JPL/NASA
Martian Sand
Sand grains on Earth are usually made of quartz. Sand grains of Mars seem to come from basalt. They seem to be particles which are cemented together, rather than round crystal fragments such as sand grains on Earth.
Sand is an important agent of erosion, although another important weathering mechanism on Mars is Acid Fog.
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Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock that is very dark in color. It is the most common type of rock in the Earth's crust and it makes up most of the ocean floor. It is made of many dark colored minerals
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