Articles tagged with Impact Features
Researchers Alyson M. Thibodeau and colleagues used lead and strontium isotopic ratios to distinguish geological sources of turquoise, shedding light on pre-Hispanic mining practices in the region. The study provides a new approach to investigate turquoise provenance, enabling scientists to better understand ancient mining activities.
Researchers from Brown University have detected deposits of glass within impact craters on Mars, suggesting that it could preserve signs of life. The study found large glass deposits in several ancient yet well-preserved craters, including Hargraves near Nili Fossae trough.
Researchers have found four enormous craters on the lake bed, measuring 80-160 meters in diameter and up to 60 meters deep. The craters are filled with a suspension of water and sediment, indicating that they are linked to karst systems and possibly triggered by earthquakes.
Researchers discovered calcium perchlorate, which lowers the freezing point, allowing for liquid water close to the Martian surface. The presence of brine suggests that large lakebeds and riverbeds existed on Mars, contradicting previous theories about a dry planet.
A team of scientists plans to take core samples from the Chicxulub impact crater, 65.5 million years old and associated with the mass extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs. The expedition will aim to uncover details about the impact and shed light on the mechanisms of large impacts on Earth and other rocky planets.
Researchers have discovered rare spring deposits and playa formations on Mars that point to the presence of a hydrological cycle and groundwater upwelling. These findings support the idea that conditions on Mars could have been conducive to microbial colonization.
A new study by Andrew J. Retzler and colleagues presents a revised map characterizing the size and shape of the Alamo crater. The researchers estimate the crater's diameter to be between 111 and 150 km, more than double previous estimates. This places the Alamo crater as one of the largest marine impacts in the last 550 million years.
Researchers have discovered two sub-glacial lakes beneath the ice in Greenland that have rapidly drained away, filling and emptying twice in a matter of years. The sudden disappearance of these lakes raises concerns about the stability of the Greenland Ice Sheet and its potential impact on global sea levels.
The Curiosity rover has taken samples of Martian rocks and soils using the CheMin instrument, which has provided insights into processes on Mars. The analysis reveals a complex mineralogy, including aqueous alteration and hydrated sulphates.
Researchers analyzed samples from the Sudbury Basin and found chondritic platinum group elements, which suggest a comet impact. The distribution of these elements indicates that the impactor was indeed a comet.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has imaged the impact crater created by NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission. The crater is small, less than ten feet in diameter, due to the spacecraft's low mass and velocity.
A new paper by University of New Hampshire scientists warns that cosmic rays pose a significant threat to future manned deep-space exploration. The study finds that extremely low densities and magnetic field strengths in the solar wind create hazardous radiation levels that limit allowable days for astronauts behind spacecraft shielding.
A University of New Hampshire and NASA study suggests that high-energy particles from solar storms can charge the moon's polar soil, creating sparking and potentially altering its composition. This process could have significant implications for our understanding of planetary surfaces in extremely cold regions.
Researchers propose that high-energy particles from solar storms can create sparking, altering the moon's polar soil and potentially reactivating permanently shadowed regions. This 'breakdown weathering' process could change our understanding of planetary evolution in extremely cold regions.
A new study reveals seven tiny pieces of interstellar dust found in samples collected by the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector, which traveled through space and returned to Earth in 2006. The discovery allows researchers to study contemporary stardust for the first time on Earth.
Scientists have identified over 200 lunar pits, some of which may lead to caves that future astronauts can use for shelter. The pits, found using NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, range in size from 5 meters to over 900 meters and are believed to form when the roof of a void or cave collapses.
Researchers confirm global picture of cold and wet Martian environment, with evidence of concave basins, lobated structures, and moraines. Ancient glaciers covered vast regions of the planet's surface, including Gale crater.
Researchers predict that only a few craters from asteroid impacts could persist on Earth due to tectonic processes and weathering. However, layers of molten rock blasted out during the impact process may serve as better records of impacts, providing insights into Earth's bombardment history.
An eight-kilometre-wide crater was formed in southern Alberta, producing a massive explosion that destroyed present-day Calgary, according to researchers. The impact site, dated within the last 70 million years, had devastating consequences for life in the area, with global implications.
A new analysis by ASU scientist Steve Ruff suggests that Lake Gusev on Mars once held a lake, with evidence of low-temperature surface waters introducing carbonates into rocks. The discovery sheds light on the crater's geological history and potential astrobiological significance.
Researchers have discovered a mid-Cretaceous greenhouse world, with superhigh sea-surface temperatures that prevailed during the Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a. Additionally, scientists have identified impact spherules in Karelia, Russia, which may be linked to the 2.02 Ga Vredefort impact event.
A new analysis of Mercury's surface suggests that the planet experienced extended periods of volcanic explosions in its history. The study, led by researchers at Brown University, used MESSENGER data to determine that the eruptions did not occur all at once but rather over an appreciable period of Mercury's history.
A CU-Boulder-led study found that crowdsourcing can be an accurate tool for counting lunar craters, surpassing even experienced professionals. The research compared the work of over 5,000 amateur counters to eight expert planetary crater counters, with surprising results.
Researchers from University of Southern Denmark and University of Copenhagen explain the mysterious ocean circles off the Baltic coast, revealing a toxic substance that inhibits eelgrass growth. The circular formations are formed when eelgrass plants trap mud containing sulfide, which weakens older plants in the center.
The Opportunity rover has discovered evidence of conditions that support the chemistry of life in Mars' past, earning a spot in Science magazine. The 10-year-old rover explored Martian geology and environmental processes, searching for signs of habitability and life.
Researchers at California Institute of Technology successfully dated a Martian rock using the Sample Analysis on Mars instrument, determining its age to be about 3.86-4.56 billion years old. This experiment provides valuable insights into Mars' geologic history and aids in searching for evidence of ancient life on the planet.
Researchers found diverse mineralogy in the South Pole Aitken basin's subsurface, suggesting pre-existing diversity in the Moon's crust and mantle. The study used data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper to analyze light reflected from central peaks of smaller craters within the basin.
Researchers at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute create detailed map of Campeche Escarpment, a steep underwater cliff near the impact site. The maps reveal that rocks formed before, during, and after the asteroid impact are exposed along different parts of the escarpment.
Researchers from NASA's Curiosity rover mission found evidence of a calm and fresh-watered lake on Mars that may have supported simple microbial life. The team believes the lake may have lasted for tens or hundreds of thousands of years, providing perfect conditions for chemolithoautotrophs to thrive.
CRaTER, an instrument on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, has made detailed measurements of radiation in deep space. The findings provide crucial data on the high-energy hazards at and around the moon, enabling astronauts to shield against radiation.
Scientists from UNH have published comprehensive findings on space-based radiation hazards using a UNH-led detector aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The data provide critical information on the radiation hazards faced by astronauts on extended missions to deep space like Mars.
A team of scientists led by NAU's Nadine Barlow found a new type of impact crater on Mars, known as Low-Aspect-Ratio Layered Ejecta (LARLE) craters. These craters feature a thin, uniform outer deposit that extends far beyond the normal ejecta blanket.
A Dartmouth-led team reveals that an asteroid impact in Quebec led to a global climate shift 12,900 years ago, causing the extinction of large mammals and prompting humans to adopt a hunter-gatherer diet. The study provides conclusive evidence linking extraterrestrial activity to environmental transformation.
Researchers at Brown University propose that double-layered ejecta craters on Mars were formed when impacts blasted through ancient glacial ice, creating a two-layered appearance. The model explains distinct features of the craters, including radial striations and their locations at middle or high latitudes.
Scientists from the University of New Hampshire and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center explain how energetic particles create molecular hydrogen from water ice on the moon. They used data gathered by the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation to show that up to 100% of the H2 can be formed via charged particles.
Scientists from UNH and SwRI report that lightweight materials like plastics provide effective shielding against the radiation hazards faced by astronauts during extended space travel. This finding could help reduce health risks to humans on future missions into deep space.
A team of scientists from NASA's Curiosity rover mission has discovered ancient rounded pebbles on the Martian surface, formed only by water transport. This finding supports the prospect that Mars could have hosted life in the past.
Researchers using NASA's HiRISE camera have identified almost 250 fresh impact craters on Mars each year, providing a more accurate measure of surface processes on the Red Planet. The cratering rate is estimated at an average of one per area roughly the size of Texas, offering insights into climate change and the planet's activity.
Researchers at Princeton University suggest that Mount Sharp, a 3.5-mile high Martian mound, was likely formed by strong winds carrying dust and sand into the Gale Crater. The analysis challenges the prevailing theory that the mound formed from layers of lakebed silt.
A 18-mile-long feature with a distinct mineral signature has been discovered in the Copernicus crater on the Moon's near side. The finding suggests that pre-existing mineralogical diversity is not always blended away by large impacts, contradicting long-held assumptions.
Researchers uncover analogous cratering patterns at the Ries Impact Crater and Mars, while also analyzing camelopard-like camouflage in trilobites. The study of Hydrate Ridge and the Sahara Desert reveals insights into volcanic unrest and paleoweather conditions.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) observed GRAIL's intentional crash into a lunar mountain, kicking up dust and gas to reveal mercury and hydrogen in the plume. The findings provide insight into the moon's volatile material transport around the lunar poles.
Researchers found a new class of dust motion on the moon, where charged particles swarm like bees around partially shaded regions. This phenomenon creates oscillations over 1-10 meter-sized shaded regions, with dust bouncing back and forth between sunlit areas.
Iowa State University engineers are working on a $500 million test launch of an asteroid intercept system, which could use nuclear devices to break apart incoming asteroids. The system, developed by Bong Wie's Asteroid Deflection Research Center, has the potential to save Earth from devastating asteroid impacts.
Researchers detected water in lunar anorthosites, contradicting the popular moon-formation model that suggests the moon was formed from debris generated by a giant impact. The discovery indicates that the early moon was wet and that water may have played a key role in its development.
Researchers from Brown University found fossilized conduits on Mars that suggest water once flowed beneath the planet's surface. The conduits, formed by underground cracks, indicate an active hydrology and a possible habitable environment.
Research using Cassini spacecraft observations reveals that Titan's craters are being filled by exotic sand dunes, suggesting a much older surface. The team compared craters on Titan to those on Ganymede and found that Titan's craters were significantly shallower, indicating erosion from windblown sand.
A new study reveals that clay minerals cover a larger portion of Mars than previously thought, including areas around Eagle crater and Endeavour Crater. Researchers believe clays could have formed early on when the planet's waters were more alkaline.
The MESSENGER spacecraft provided new lines of evidence for the existence of water ice on Mercury, with measurements from its laser altimeter and hydrogen concentrations from the neutron spectrometer. The findings suggest that ice is present near the north pole, covered by a layer of material in most areas.
A University at Buffalo study examines maar craters, finding that their shape and ejecting distance are more accurate measures of an eruption's force. The findings could help scientists estimate the size of future volcano eruptions.
A team of researchers has analyzed bacterial communities on rocks similar to those found in Mexican marshes, providing insights into the Martian environment. The study reveals two distinct communities, one adapted to lack of nitrogen and another without phosphorus, offering clues about potential nutrient limitations on Mars.
A new study explains the connection between Kilauea and Mauna Loa by proposing an upper-mantle link that can account for their competition over a deep magma supply. The research suggests that increased pressure in the upper mantle is transmitted through a partially molten region, causing simultaneous inflation at both volcanoes.
The LRO radar has detected small patches of ice in the walls of Shackleton crater, with estimates suggesting they could make up at most 5-10% of the material by weight. This finding supports the possibility that permanently shadowed lunar craters are sites for water accumulation.
Researchers analyzed images of Titan's river networks, finding that they resemble early stages of terrestrial rivers' evolution. In some regions, rivers have caused little erosion, raising questions about Titan's geologic past and potential processes such as tectonic upheaval and icy lava eruptions.
A new study suggests that Mars Curiosity rover may be able to find evidence of ancient life on Mars by probing optimal depths and locations for organic molecules. The research indicates that the rover's drilling range could detect simple carbon-containing molecules within 10 cm beneath the surface.
A team of scientists from Cardiff University and GEUS discovered a 100km-wide, 3-billion-year-old impact crater in West Greenland. The crater's effects were visible deep within the Earth's crust, allowing researchers to study impact processes nearly a billion years further back.
Researchers estimate that ice may make up 22 percent of Shackleton crater's surface material using laser light from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The team discovered the crater's floor is brighter than nearby craters, indicating possible ice presence.
Researchers have created a massive database of Mars' impact craters, containing 635,000 craters over 1km in diameter. This will aid in dating Mars' regions and understanding water volcanism and potential past habitability.
A team of researchers discovered that a giant impact crater on Asteroid Vesta was formed in a recent collision. The analysis of high-resolution images from the Dawn spacecraft suggests that the impact occurred only about 1 billion years ago, which is unexpectedly young considering Vesta's formation age.
Vesta's surface boasts a diverse array of terrain, including large impact craters and steep slopes. The planet's composition suggests it once had a molten interior, with an iron core at its center.