The Curiosity rover, one of NASA's flagship missions, analyzes Martian geology, geochemistry, climatology, and radiation to assess whether Mars could have supported microbial life.
erosion & weathering
Posted inNews
How Bat Breath and Guano Can Change the Shapes of Caves
Researchers working in caves in Borneo and elsewhere are finding evidence that biological processes shape many tropical caves by slowly eating away at surrounding rock.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Formed These Curious Ripples on Mars?
Dunes, ridges, or something else? Scientists seek to understand the origins of transverse aeolian ridges.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Largest Grains Dominate River Bedrock Erosion Rates
The effect of particle size on bedrock erosion rates adds complexity to modeling bedrock channel evolution.
Posted inScience Updates
The Importance of Dunes on a Variety of Planetary Surfaces
The Fourth International Planetary Dunes Workshop: Integrating Models, Remote Sensing, and Field Data; Boise, Idaho, 19–22 May 2015
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Dynamics of the Earth's Surface in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau
River erosion increased rapidly following rock uplift events in the plateau approximately 11 million years ago.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How a River Gets Its Width
A new model of deposition and erosion on river banks allows scientists to study how the banks control their stream’s width.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Hillslopes Regulate Sediment Supply to River Channels
New study rethinks dynamics of runoff-driven erosion in response to rainstorms.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Comparing Models for Soil Erosion Due to Wind
Researchers investigate the impact of vegetation on erosion.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Manganese Deposits on Mars Suggest a Highly Oxidized Past
Data from the Curiosity rover suggest that the surface of Mars has experienced more strongly oxidizing conditions than previously thought.