Tag: planetary climate
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How an Ancient Ice Age Carved Deep Scratches on Mars
Unveiling an Ice Age on the Red Planet For decades, scientists have grappled with questions about Mars’ climatic past. A compelling new chapter emerges from high-resolution images taken by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter. These photographs reveal long, scar-like features and deep craters that point to a dramatic period when the Red Planet…
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Equatorial Mars Ice from Volcanoes: Hidden Water Ice
New clues from a planetary climate model A recent modeling study published in Nature Communications proposes an intriguing mechanism for how hydrated ice could accumulate in Mars’ equatorial regions—far from the planet’s well-known polar ice caps. By simulating ancient, explosive volcanic eruptions on early Mars, researchers show that water vapor emitted during eruptions could condense…
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Ancient supernova signature found in Pacific sediments
What the spike means A recent international study has uncovered an unusual spike in beryllium-10 (Be-10) within Pacific Ocean sediments. Be-10 is a radioactive isotope produced when cosmic rays collide with Earth’s atmosphere. Its presence in higher-than-normal amounts can act as a cosmic fingerprint, offering clues about dramatic astronomical events that may have influenced our…