Armed with laser technology, scientists now plot and study vivid maps of underground spaces with stunning accuracy. But the equipment is costly, fragile, and hard to maneuver through tight passages.
mapping
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Hydraulic Fracturing Water Use Is Tied to Environmental Impact
New map identifies varying water usage in hydraulic drilling operations across the United States and what this means for potential environmental impacts.
Posted inScience Updates
A Weather Eye on Coastal Winds
New satellite radar image-processing system provides wind speed maps with an unprecedented degree of precision. Such maps will help coastal communities prepare for wind-related hazards.
Posted inScience Updates
New Insights from Seafloor Mapping of a Hawaiian Marine Monument
New surveys help untangle the complex geologic history of the Hawaiian Archipelago and provide hints about where to seek marine life.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Water Beneath the Surface of Mars, Bound Up in Sulfates
Researchers present maps of hydrogen and sulfur that hint at water locked in hydrous sulfates in Mars's southern hemispheric soil.
Posted inScience Updates
A Suite of Software Analyzes Data on the Sphere
The software improves data analysis over small portions of a spherical planetary surface. Among other applications, it has helped track Greenland's ice loss over time.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Mapping Seismic Activity in the Pamir Mountains
Researchers plot deformation from 6000 seismic events across the central Asian mountain range to better understand its tectonic history.
Posted inFeatures
Crowdsourcing Digital Maps Using Citizen Geologists
Could citizen geologists help scientists make geological maps?
Posted inScience Updates
The New Geologic Map of Mars: Guiding Research and Education
Currently, five spacecraft are investigating Mars, and a swarm of new missions will follow. Clues to where they should focus investigations can be gleaned from the planet’s new geologic map.