Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets Archives - Page 13 of 15

Mystery shrouds the Enceladus plume, and researchers think a dust cloud might be the main culprit

Where Are the Electrical Currents in the Enceladus Plume?

by Mark Zastrow 7 July 201715 March 2023

A plume of water ice that escapes Saturn’s moon Enceladus should be coursing with electrical currents, but data are mixed. Now simulations suggest that a sticky dust cloud may shield signals.

Researchers use models to examine the orientation of poles on Neptune’s moon Triton

Research Spotlights

Time, Tides, and Wandering Poles

by A. Branscombe 5 July 201715 March 2022

Models of Neptune’s moon Triton reveal curious behavior in how tidal forces and mass anomalies cause the poles to reorient their location.

Researchers examine images taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover to see how Martian sand dunes form.

Research Spotlights

Curiosity Spies Shifting Sands on Mars

by Mark Zastrow 29 June 201728 July 2022

Images from the rover’s pioneering encounter with sand dunes on Mars constrain wind speeds required to move sand in the thin Martian atmosphere.

Researchers look at silicon carbide under heat and pressure to better understand its behavior in a planet mantle

Research Spotlights

Lab Tests Probe Carbon Planets’ Inner Dynamics

by Terri Cook 15 June 201730 September 2021

Thermal convection in deep interiors could be more vigorous in carbide planets than in comparably sized silicate planets, according to new high-pressure measurements of silicon carbide.

Researchers examine how meteorite impacts explain the distribution of different soils on the surface of the Moon

Research Spotlights

Meteorites Mix Moon’s Surface at Both Small and Large Scales

by Terri Cook 7 June 201728 January 2022

A three-dimensional model of material transport suggests that impact cratering can mix lunar soils across distances of more than 100 kilometers.

Researchers uncover the cause behind volcanic eruptions that produced Canada’s Sudbury crater

Research Spotlights

Ancient Impact May Have Triggered Long-Term Volcanic Eruptions

by Sarah Stanley 25 May 201728 January 2022

Scientists revisit Canada’s Sudbury crater in light of new evidence from other planets that suggests an alternative postimpact history.

Editors' Vox

Insights into the Habitability of Mars

by M. Rice 15 May 201724 April 2024

NASA’s Curiosity rover explored the Kimberley region of Mars to search for signs that the planet was once habitable.

Mineral veins on Mars offer clues to the history of the planet’s crust

Research Spotlights

Studying Martian Rocks Without Leaving Planet Earth

by A. Branscombe 1 March 20173 January 2023

Matching Martian rock formations to those found on Earth can help researchers learn more about the Red Planet.

Researchers simulate the heat that flows through Mar’s interior to aid a future lander.

Research Spotlights

Martian Mantle Models Pave the Way for NASA's InSight Lander

by Mark Zastrow 23 January 201722 June 2022

The most detailed simulations to date of how heat flows through Mars's interior are good news for the upcoming lander and will help scientists interpret its data.