Geology
If a Planet Has a Lot of Methane in its Atmosphere, Life is the Most Likely Cause
The ultra-powerful James Webb Space Telescope will launch soon. Once it's deployed, and in position at the Earth-Sun Lagrange Point…
You Can See the Spot Where Lava Broke Through the Wall of a Martian Crater and Began Filling it Up
At a fundamental level, Mars is a volcanic planet. Its surface is home to the Solar System's largest extinct volcano,…
This is Mawrth Vallis on Mars, and it’s Positively Bursting with Evidence of Past Water Action on Mars
Here on Earth, geologists seek out deep channels into Earth's rock, carved over the ages by flowing water. The exposed…
There’s a Vast Microbial Ecosystem Underneath the Crater that Wiped Out the Dinosaurs
How did life arise on Earth? How did it survive the Hadean eon, a time when repeated massive impacts excavated…
What Role do Radioactive Elements Play in a Planet’s Habitability?
According to new study by a team from UC Santa Cruz, the right amount of radioactive elements could also be…
Scientists in Japan Have Found a Detailed Record of the Earth’s Last Magnetic Reversal, 773,000 Years Ago
Every 200,000 to 300,000 years Earth's magnetic poles reverse. What was once the north pole becomes the south, and vice…
Geologists Have Found the Earth’s Missing Tectonic Plate
Northern Canada has been keeping a secret from the rest of the world. It's home to "Resurrection," a tectonic plate…
Ancient Terrain on Venus Looks Like it Was Formed Through Volcanism
A new study shows that some of the oldest surface features on Venus (tesserae) were likely formed by volcanic activity
A New Mass Extinction has been Discovered, Wiping Out Life 233 Million Years Ago, and Leading to the Rise of the Dinosaurs
Most everybody knows that the dinosaurs perished rapidly in a tumultuous extinction, caused by an asteroid strike about 66 million…
There Could Be Carbon-Rich Exoplanets Made Of Diamonds
Scientists are getting better at understanding exoplanets. We now know that they're plentiful, and that they can even orbit dead…