Sand is a critical component of many built environments. As most of us learn (via sand castle), adding just the right amount of water allows sand to be quite strong. Keep reading
Tag: geophysics
Martian Mud Volcanoes
Mars features mounds that resemble our terrestrial mud volcanoes, suggesting that a similar form of mudflow occurs on Mars. But Mars’ thin atmosphere and frigid temperatures mean that water — Keep reading
Bifurcating Waterways
Your typical river has a single water basin and drains along a river or two on its way to the sea. But there are a handful of rivers and lakes Keep reading
Arctic Melt
Temperatures in the Arctic are rising faster than elsewhere, triggering more and more melting. Photographer Scott Portelli captured a melting ice shelf protruding into the ocean in this aerial image. Keep reading
Reclaiming the Land
Lava floods human-made infrastructure on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula in this aerial image from photographer Ael Kermarec. Protecting roads and buildings from lava flows is a formidable challenge, but it’s one Keep reading
Thawing Permafrost Primes Slumps
As permafrost thaws on Arctic hillsides and shorelines, the land often deforms in a unique fashion, known as a slump. Formally known as mega retrogressive thaw slumps, these areas superficially Keep reading
“Visions in Ice”
The glittering blue interior of an ice cave sparkles in this award-winning image by photographer Yasmin Namini. The cave is underneath Iceland’s Vatnajokull Glacier. Notice the deep scallops carved into Keep reading
Slipping Ice Streams
The Northeast Greenland Ice Stream provides about 12% of the island’s annual ice discharge, and so far, models cannot accurately capture just how quickly the ice moves. Researchers deployed a Keep reading
Salt Affects Particle Spreading
Microplastics are proliferating in our oceans (and everywhere else). This video takes a look at how salt and salinity gradients could affect the way plastics move. The researchers begin with Keep reading
Flooding the Mediterranean
Nearly 6 million years ago, the Mediterranean was cut off from the ocean and evaporated faster than rivers could replenish it. This created a salty desert that persisted until about Keep reading