An imaging campaign after the 2018 planet-encircling dust storm on Mars revealed a significant increase in detections of enigmatic recurring slope lineae and new insights into how they might form.
erosion & weathering
How Did Diatoms Evolve to Swap Zinc for the Toxic Metal Cadmium?
New network analysis suggests that zinc and cadmium sulfides weathered simultaneously in geological history, making cadmium a suitable substitute in photosynthetic pathways when zinc was scarce.
The First Angstrom-Scale View of Weathering
Researchers observe how water vapor and liquid alter sedimentary rocks through physical and chemical processes.
Weighing Inputs of Waves and Precipitation to Coastal Erosion
Conducting weekly lidar surveys of coastal cliffs for 3 years enabled a California team of coastal erosion researchers to quantify and separate marine effects from subaerial effects.
European Colonists Dramatically Increased North American Erosion Rates
Around 200 years ago, when conversion of land for agriculture became more widespread, the amount of sediment accumulating in riverbeds across the continent jumped tenfold.
Warmer Climates Speed Breakdown of Rocks
Researchers listened to boulders for thousands of hours to investigate how they weathered.
Using Nuclear Fallout to Measure Soil Erosion in Tunisia
Cesium-137 acts as a tracer to evaluate the efficiency of conservation methods.
Experimenting with Underwater Sediment Slides
Sediment-laden currents caused by breaching flow slides are hazardous to flood defenses and seabed infrastructure. New research shows that these phenomena must be accounted for in erosion simulations.
A Clearer Look at Lunar Surface Hydration
Independent ground-based observations of the Moon confirm prior spacecraft observations that hydration at the lunar surface varies with temperature.