Eroding foresets (Roussillon basin)

3D ModelNoAI

This is a mini butte observed in the “Bente Farine” quarry in Nefiach (Roussillon basin, southern France). This model has been made from 128 photos taken with a Nikon D5300 DSLR (24 MPx).

This small butte is a remnant of the sandy and pebbly foresets emplaced as part of a larger-scale Gilbert-delta in the Têt valley during the early Zanclean (~5Ma). This precise feature illustrate the morphologies formed by eroded/eroding foreset strata, such as repetitive arcuate parallel beds.

This pattern is not unlike what has been observed from orbit on the Jezero crater western delta, explored by the Perseverance rover between 2021 and 2024. This site therefore serves as a geomorphological terrestrial analog to the Jezero delta on Mars.

Acknowledgements: The “Cufi Frères” quarry in Nefiach for granting the access to their premises.