Rocks and minerals found on Earth are different than on Mars, but the idea of a mountain made of layers is familiar to scientists.

CNN: Rover Curiosity near Mars landing

Once inside I discovered a world filled with breath taking rocks and minerals everywhere, glistening fresh water at the bottom and hundreds of bats sleeping overhead.

FORBES: The Brooklyn-Grown Archeological Shop Inspired by Sacred Mayan Sinkholes

At the start of 2013, eBay alone had more than forty thousand fossils, rocks, and minerals for sale.

NEWYORKER: Bones of Contention

The latter process occurs at low temperatures when rocks rich in the minerals olivine and pyroxene react chemically with water, releasing methane.

BBC: Martian methane mystery deepens