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Planetary Geology

All articles tagged with #planetary geology

Mercury’s colossal iron core shrinks its crust into kilometer-scale cliffs
science16 days ago

Mercury’s colossal iron core shrinks its crust into kilometer-scale cliffs

Mercury hides a massive metallic core that takes up roughly 85% of the planet’s radius, leaving a thin rocky shell whose cooling has contracted and buckled the surface into long lobate scarps hundreds of kilometres long. Data from NASA’s MESSENGER mission show a layered interior with a partly molten core, and while the full formation story remains debated, the observed contraction (up to about 7 km in radius since formation) records Mercury’s slow cooling. The upcoming BepiColombo mission, arriving in 2026, should refine estimates of the core and shell, and reveal whether there is any ongoing tectonic activity.

via spacedaily.com|
#iron-core#lobate-scarps#mercury
Pluto's heart shows a young, churned nitrogen glacier erasing its history
space26 days ago

Pluto's heart shows a young, churned nitrogen glacier erasing its history

Sputnik Planitia, the bright nitrogen-ice plain at Pluto's heart, has no confirmed impact craters, implying a convecting, glacier-like surface that renews itself on timescales of about 500,000 years; while older, cratered terrain exists elsewhere on Pluto, this region's surface is continually renewed, making parts of it effectively younger than humans, though crater counts alone don’t give a precise age.

via Space Daily|
#convection#nitrogen-ice#planetary-geology
Colossal landslides on Pluto could bury Earth’s cities, study finds
space1 month ago

Colossal landslides on Pluto could bury Earth’s cities, study finds

A team analyzing NASA’s New Horizons data from Pluto’s 2015 flyby identified six landslides along the inner walls of three craters on Sputnik Planitia. Debris flows stretch 10–14.5 km, with the largest apron about 130 sq km—large enough to bury a small city. These features show Pluto is geologically active on long timescales, likely driven by Pluto’s low gravity and icy, low-friction material; triggers vary, from nearby impacts to thermal stresses that cause sublimation and condensation of volatiles. The findings mark Pluto as the first Kuiper Belt world with such landslides confirmed, though coverage limits detection of additional events.

via Space|
#landslides#new-horizons#planetary-geology
Olympus Mons Recasts the Mountain: Mars’ Giant Volcano Tops Everest in Height and Footprint
science1 month ago

Olympus Mons Recasts the Mountain: Mars’ Giant Volcano Tops Everest in Height and Footprint

Olympus Mons on Mars rises roughly 21–27 km above its datum and spans about 600 km across, nearly three times Everest’s height and about the size of Italy, redefining what a “mountain” can mean. Unlike Earth’s jagged peaks, Olympus Mons is a broad shield volcano formed by long lava flows, made possible by Mars’s low gravity and lack of plate tectonics. While Everest remains Earth's highest point above sea level, Olympus Mons demonstrates how planetary context changes the scale and meaning of mountains.

via Space Daily|
#mars#mount-everest#olympus-mons
Mars’ Expanding Shadow in Utopia Planitia Baffles Scientists After 50 Years
space4 months ago

Mars’ Expanding Shadow in Utopia Planitia Baffles Scientists After 50 Years

A dark patch in Mars’ Utopia Planitia, made of ash and volcanic rocks, has slowly expanded since it was first photographed by Viking 2 in 1976. ESA’s Mars Express captured new images in 2024 showing the shadow creeping southward by roughly 320 km (about 6.5 km per year). Scientists think Martian winds likely move the ash or blow away dust covering it, but the exact cause is still unknown.

via Live Science|
#mars#mars-express#planetary-geology
Curiosity Discovers Pure Sulfur in Martian Rock, Hinting at Hidden Geology
space5 months ago

Curiosity Discovers Pure Sulfur in Martian Rock, Hinting at Hidden Geology

Curiosity cracked open a rock in the Gediz Vallis Channel on Mars to reveal pure elemental sulfur, the first such find on the planet, suggesting sulfur-rich processes in this ancient waterway. While sulfates are common on Mars, the origin of this pure sulfur is unclear and will require further analysis and modeling as the rover continues its exploration.

via ScienceAlert|
#curiosity#gediz-vallis#mars
NASA Discovers New Findings on Mars’s Largest Volcano
space8 months ago

NASA Discovers New Findings on Mars’s Largest Volcano

NASA's recent findings highlight Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System located on Mars, which stands over 27 km high and spans an area larger than Poland. Its massive size results from Mars's lack of tectonic activity, allowing repeated lava flows to build up over millions of years. Although dormant since about 25 million years ago, recent discoveries of frost suggest potential future activity or water presence, keeping scientists intrigued about this geological marvel.

via The Daily Galaxy|
#mars#nasa#olympus-mons
NASA's Mars Missions Reveal Water Ice and New Mysteries Beneath the Surface
science8 months ago

NASA's Mars Missions Reveal Water Ice and New Mysteries Beneath the Surface

Scientists have discovered shallow water ice beneath the surface of Mars in a mid-latitude region, which could serve as a crucial resource for future human missions by providing water, fuel, and insights into the planet's habitability. The findings suggest promising landing sites and highlight the importance of further exploration to confirm the ice's characteristics, aiding planning for future exploration efforts.

via SciTechDaily|
#human-exploration#mars#mars-landing-sites