[NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona]. Polygons are interesting features on Mars, though sometimes only visible in high resolution images like those taken by HiRISE.
hydrology
Posted inWater/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A New Database To Track Origins Of Water From Space
[Rice University]. International collaboration makes decades of satellite data more accessible to scientists studying global water cycle.
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine
Microbial Mats Influence The Isotopic Composition And Provenance of Soil Organic Matter In The McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
[Biogeosciences via ESS Open Archive] In the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica, microbial mats are responsible for primary productivity in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; yet their influence on soil […]
Posted inMars
Ancient Clays Near The Hellas Basin On Mars
[NASA]. Ancient clay-rich sediments (orangish color and polygonal fractures in our enhanced color cutout) exposed between wind-blown dunes and patches of sand northwest of the giant Hellas impact basin.
![[LEFT] Extended Seasonal evolution of total atmospheric optical depth across 669 Sol (a) Total atmospheric optical depth for the control simulation (b) Total atmospheric optical depth under singleinjection aluminium nanoparticle substitution (c) Total optical-depth anomaly between the seeded and control simulations, showing the temporal evolution of the radiative effect associated with the aerosol substitution Extended [RIGHT]] Seasonal evolution of aerosol optical depth across 669 Sol (a) Aerosol optical depth for the control simulation, showing the spatial and temporal distribution of the background aerosol (b) Aerosol optical depth under single-injection aluminium nanoparticle substitution (c) Aerosol optical-depth anomaly between the seeded and control simulations, showing the evolution and decay of the aerosol optical signal in the absence of continuous replenishment. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/3D-Global.png?resize=1200%2C714&ssl=1)
Posted inTerraforming & Geoengineering
3D Global Climate Simulations of Synthetic Mars Warming
[astro-ph.EP] Artificial warming via engineered aerosols presents a novel pathway to bypass volatile scarcity on modern Mars.
![A comparison of the upwards and downwards long-wave radiative fluxes (left and middle column) after 2000 years using a tidally-locked co-ordinate system. AS, T and SS denote the antistellar point, terminator and substellar point respectively. The right-hand column shows the difference in fluxes in filled contours, which are overlain by solid black contours that indicate the percentage increase of specific humidity in the 100 m versus the 10 m simulation.-- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/The-Hydrological.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
The Hydrological Cycle and Circulation of Tidally-Locked Planets with A Finite Moisture Inventory
[astro-ph.EP] Tidally-locked planets express a range of climate regimes distinct from those found in our solar system.
![Observation and modeling of the Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud (AMEC). (A) Observation by the Mars Express VMC imager41,42, at 8.5 a.m. Local Time. (B) Reference simulation assuming only heterogeneous nucleation, at 8.1 a.m. Local Time. (C) Same as B, but with homogeneous nucleation added. See also supplementary video S1.-- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Homogeneous.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inMars
Homogeneous Nucleation of Water Vapor Evidenced by Elongated Clouds on Mars
[astro-ph.EP] It is widely accepted that water vapor forms clouds by heterogeneous nucleation (condensation on pre-existing dry nuclei).
Posted inMars
Sulfate Deposits On Iani Chaos On Mars
[NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona] This HiRISE image shows light-toned layered deposits within Iani Chaos. Many of the same deposits occur within the depressions of Iani Chaos, as well as several nearby similar regions […]
Posted inMars
Following Ancient Rain Toward The Origins Of Life On Mars
[Tohoku University] The Mars we know today is a cold, dry world of dust and rocks. However, around 3.8-3.6 billion years ago, it may have looked very different. Geological and […]
Posted inMars
The North Pole Of Mars Is Less Dusty Than Scientists Thought
[University of Washington] Although Mars may have once resembled Earth, the rocky red planet now appears far from hospitable. Still, certain details — such as ice-bound water — pique researchers’ […]