Tag Archives: geology

Blog #6: Enceladus’s Tiger Stripes

Posted on April 17, 2022 by nadiamcglynn

The Cassini Spacecraft revealed dramatic geysers spewing from Enceladus’s tiger stripes, horizontal, nearly parallel fissures near the moon’s south pole, in 2006. It was believed that these may have been caused by “cryo-volcanism” (icy volcanos!), but new research suggests that it may be caused by the changes in the eccentricity of Enceladus’s orbit over 100 […] Continue reading →

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Blog #3: Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating

Posted on March 22, 2022 by nadiamcglynn

Radioactive decay is one of the processes by which Earth produces heat. Radioactive isotopes start off unstable (these are called the parent isotopes), and so they decay into other, more stable daughter/progeny isotopes. The decay produces alpha, beta, or gamma radiation which is then converted into thermal energy. The decay of isotopes like uranium, thorium, […] Continue reading →

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The Himalayas of Venus

Posted on March 18, 2022 by isaiandrade01

The Himalayas might be considered the most impressive mountain range on Earth, but what about other geological formations on planets around the solar system? Most famously, Olympus Mons is the tallest mountain in the solar system, located on Mars at 21229 meters, and about 2.5 times the size of Mount Everest. Alternatively, while not as […] Continue reading →

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About Me

Posted on January 22, 2022 by nadiamcglynn

Hello! I am a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Earth and Environmental Science with a minor in Sustainability Studies. I am super excited for this class because I am considering an Astronomy minor and am very interested in the subject in general. My plan after undergrad is to study Planetary Geology in graduate school. Continue reading →

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Geological Map of the Moon

Posted on March 20, 2021 by thestarstudent

The United States Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center and NASA worked together to create a complete geological map of the Moon in early 2020. The map shows the immense amount of impact craters on the moon’s surface. It was made with information from six maps from the Apollo-era in conjunction with modern data. Specifically, dataContinue reading “Geological Map of the Moon” Continue reading →

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Surface Features of Mercury

Posted on March 19, 2021 by lauryn28

Mercury is a terrestrial planet, though it is quite different in appearance than Earth. It’s grey rocky surface more resembles that of the moon, however unlike the moon Mercury has a liquid iron core and is much denser. Moreover, Mercury’s surface features paint an interesting story of past geological occurrences. Mercury formed around 4.6 billionContinue reading “Surface Features of Mercury” Continue reading →

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One Strange Shield

Posted on March 16, 2020 by gatorsguidetothegalaxy

About a year ago National Geographic released a television series titled “One Strange Rock.” It can be found on Disney+. This series looks at how life on Earth survives and thrives. It is especially interesting because it tells this story through eight astronauts (and Will Smith!) who have spent about 1,000 days in space. AnContinue reading “One Strange Shield” Continue reading →

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The Geology of Mars

Posted on March 12, 2020 by emily

There are four different processes that shape planetary surfaces; volcanism, tectonics, erosion, and impact catering. Impact catering is the creation of a bowl-shaped impact crater by asteroids or comets striking a planet’s surface. Volcanism is the eruption of molten rock, or lava from an interior onto its surface. Tectonics is the disruption of a planet’sContinue reading “The Geology of Mars” Continue reading →

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Recent Landslides on Ceres display Ice Content

Posted on April 27, 2017 by njelinek425

A series of landslides on Ceres’ surface has been photographed last week, displaying solid evidence for frozen water comprising a sizable portion of its composition. Images displayed three different types of landslide classifications. Type I landslides are relatively round and large, similar to rock glaciers and landslides found on Earth. These landslides are found at […] Continue reading →

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Crown-Like Structures on Venus

Posted on April 24, 2017 by abbeyroth

A new study may explain these strange looking ring patterns on Venus’s surface. These geological markers are called coronae and occur when plumes of hot molten rock rise up and disturb the cooler material above it. The rigid surface is then cracked and molten rock can flow through cracks as magma. Scientists did tests in… Continue reading Crown-Like Structures on Venus Continue reading →

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