hydrology Archives

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Learns New Moves After Nearly 20 Years in Space

by Keith CowingJune 28, 2025June 28, 2025

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is testing a series of large spacecraft rolls that will help it hunt for water.

(a) Lateral evolution from a sharp to a transitional contact between brain coral terrain and polygonal terrain within the terraced crater located 1.4 km W of AP-8. HiRISE ESP_043220_2210. Vertical exaggeration x3. (b) Brain coral terrain in transitional contact with polygonal terrain, ∼8 km SE of AP-1. HiRISE ESP_050934_2200. (c) Transitional contact between open-cell and closed-cell brain coral terrain. (d) 3D view of HiRISE image ESP_050934_2200 and overlying colored DEM, with transitional contacts between polygonal patterned ground and open-cell and closed-cell brain coral terrain. Vertical exaggeration x3. -- Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Icy Worlds, Life Support Systems, Mars, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Near-surface Water Ice On Mars

by Keith CowingJune 24, 2025June 24, 2025

Before they take the long journey to another planet, humans will have to find the right place to land. New findings from a University of Mississippi researcher may point to […]

Flood Carved Channel Larger image NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Status Report

Topography of a Flood Carved Channel On Mars

by Keith CowingJune 23, 2025June 23, 2025

In this location, there are a series of benches or terraces high up on the channel wall.

Map showing water percolation rates on Mars billions of years ago according to research from UT Jackson School of Geosciences. Surface water sinking through the Martian soil took between 50 years (warmer colors) and 200 years (cooler colors) to reach the water table, a mile down. Credit Mohammad Afzal Shadab

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Mars, Press Release

The Missing Link In The Early Martian Water Cycle

by Keith CowingMay 21, 2025May 21, 2025

Billions of years ago, water flowed on the surface of Mars. But scientists have an incomplete picture of how the Red Planet’s water cycle worked.

Apps - Games, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ice Planet Update: State of the Cryosphere Report 2024 – Lost Ice, Global Damage

by Keith CowingMay 15, 2025May 15, 2025

In the State of the Cryosphere 2024 – Lost Ice, Global Damage report, over 50 leading cryosphere scientists warn of vastly higher impacts and costs to the global economy given […]

Locations and spectral analysis of marsquakes and impacts. (a) Location of the 418 InSight station (yellow triangle) and events (black stars) used in this study. The S1000a and S1094b are two impact events, and the S0173a and S1222a are marsquakes that occurred at the crustal base or uppermost mantle. The black lines show the great circle of each event. (b)–(e) Spectral analysis of the four events for S0173a, S1000a, S1094b and S1222a. The yellow-shaded areas highlight P-wave signals (red lines) with strengths greater than the noise level (black lines). In contrast to the S0173a marsquake, which exhibits low frequencies (< 1 Hz), the two impact events (S1000a, S1094b) and the largest tectonic marsquake (S1222a) contain rich higher frequency (≥4 Hz) content. More detailed analyses are given in supplementary data S1. -- National Science Review

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Seismic Velocity Anomalies Suggest Liquid Water At Depth On Mars

by Keith CowingMay 9, 2025May 9, 2025

This study is jointly completed by Dr. Weijia Sun (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Dr. Hrvoje Tkalčić (The Australian National University), Dr. Marco G. Malusà (University […]

Artist's depiction of water rushing into Mars' Jezero Crater, which billions of years ago was the site of a delta. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Rain And Snow Fell On Ancient Mars

by Keith CowingApril 22, 2025April 22, 2025

Visit ancient Mars—a surprisingly temperate planet where snow or rain falls from the sky, and rivers rush down valleys to feed hundreds of lakes.

Images: SuperCam RMI color images showing various types of textures.

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return

Unburied Treasure: Rover Researchers Find Unexpected Minerals On Mars

by Keith CowingMarch 5, 2025March 5, 2025

Sometimes scientists must dig and work and sweat to make scientific discoveries. And sometimes a robot rolls over a rock that turns out to be a revelation.

Distribution of fluvial and lacustrine features on Titan. Most of Titan’s valley networks, lakes, and seas are concentrated at polar latitudes, though valley networks are comparably more globally distributed (Miller et al. 2021). Alluvial fans are primarily found at Titan’s mid-latitudes (Birch et al. 2016). At both poles, Titan’s largest lakes, seas, and paleoseas concentrate on the eastern hemisphere, while most of the smaller lakes are on the opposite hemisphere (Birch et al. 2017). The largest cluster of small lakes are in Titan’s ‘Lake District’, a region elevated above the seas by 100’s of meters. Major regions and features are labeled, along with approximated locations of the Huygens lander and the Dragonfly landing site at Selk Crater. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Saturn, Status Report, Titan

Titan’s Fluvial and Lacustrine Landscapes

by Keith CowingFebruary 5, 2025February 5, 2025

In this chapter we begin with a review of Titan’s fluvial and lacustrine landscapes as observed with Cassini remote sensing data, and what the many discoveries have revealed about Titan’s […]