Geology
Lava Tubes on the Moon and Mars are Really, Really Big. Big Enough to Fit an Entire Planetary Base
Could lava tubes on the Moon and Mars play a role in establishing a human presence on those worlds? Possibly,…
What Cracked the Earth’s Outer Shell and Started its Plate Tectonics?
Earth's lithosphere is made up of seven large tectonic plates and a number of smaller ones. The theory of plate…
It Looks Like There are Still Active Volcanoes on Venus
Venus' surface is no stranger to volcanoes. Radar images show more than 1,000 volcanic structures on the planet. But for…
Earth’s Magnetic Field is Changing Surprisingly Quickly
The Earth's magnetic North pole has been moving awfully fast in recent years. But there's nothing to worry about.
Why Lava Tubes Should be Our Top Exploration Priority on Other Worlds
When magma comes out of the Earth onto the surface, it flows as lava. Those lava flows are fascinating to…
That Strange Gel-Like Material Discovered by China’s Lunar Rover? It’s Just Rock
In January 2019, China landed its Chang'e 4 mission on the Moon's far side. The Yutu-2 rover got busy exploring…
It Was Almost Certainly an Asteroid Impact that Wiped Out the Dinosaurs. In Fact, Volcanoes Might Have Helped Life Recover
It seems almost certain that an asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs. But only almost. Another competing theory won't completely…
Deep Down in Ocean Worlds, it’s Difficult to Tell Where the Oceans End and the Rock Begins
We all know what water is. And what rock is. The difference is crystal clear. Well, here on Earth it…
Do We Now Understand Why the Moon’s Near and Far Sides Look So Dramatically Different?
The Moon is easily the most well-studied object in the Solar System, (other than Earth, of course.) But it still…
The dinosaur killing asteroid hit the Earth at the most devastating possible angle
There are bad days, and then there are really bad days. 65 million years ago, life on Earth - especially…