NASA's Mars rover Curiosity captured images of a spiky stone on Sol 3944 (2023-09-10), which is attributed to dynamic loading. Dynamic loading refers to the forces exerted on a material that can cause deformation, cracking, or breaking. Properties such as hardness, brittleness, and resilience influence the formation and durability of spikes when subjected to dynamic loading. Harder stones are less prone to deformation, while more brittle stones are more likely to fracture or break. Resilience, the ability of the stone to absorb energy and return to its original form, also plays a significant role. Curiosity's Mastcam visualised via mine renders. Image source: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Source RAW-image from NASA: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/03944/mcam/3944MR1047370011704174C00_DXXX.jpg Animation, image processing, visuals and renders made by iGadgetPro Like and Subscribe! #curiosity #mars #DynamicLoading #spikystone