Monthly Archives: February 2013

What Earth’s saltiest pond says about Mars

Posted on February 21, 2013 by rburnham

An Antarctic pond that’s the saltiest natural body of water on Earth stays wet in part by pulling moisture out of the air, scientists have discovered. And that has implications for possible brine seeps and reservoirs on Mars. Don Juan … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Blowing sand and moving dunes in Gale Crater

Posted on February 13, 2013 by rburnham

Curiosity, NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory rover, is exploring the floor of Gale Crater. Its main science target, however, is the giant stack of water-altered sediments that make up Mount Sharp, Gale Crater’s central mound. But to reach the mound, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Grooving on Phobos

Posted on February 5, 2013 by rburnham

Phobos, the larger moon of Mars, has a surface covered in craters, dust, boulders – and a great many semi-parallel and intersecting grooves. One theory for the grooves’ origin, proposed in 2011, holds that they are impact scars from chains … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , | Comments Off