Giant ice volcanoes may have recently changed the face of Pluto

Astronomers claim to have discovered evidence of huge ice volcanoes that have changed the surface of Pluto relatively recently. Data and images gathered by the New Horizons mission revealed surface structures that seem to have been produced by a phenom… Continue reading Giant ice volcanoes may have recently changed the face of Pluto

Strange new form of ice discovered in high pressure experiments

Ice may seem pretty simple in our everyday experience, but it actually comes in at least 20 different forms. Scientists at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) have now discovered a new type of ice that may be found deep in the Earth’s mantle or o… Continue reading Strange new form of ice discovered in high pressure experiments

Basal meltwater is thawing the Greenland Ice Sheet from the bottom up

For the past seven years, a science team led by Professor Poul Christoffersen from the University of Cambridge has been studying meltwater lakes pooled atop the Greenland Ice Sheet, seeking to better understanding the role they play in the behavior of … Continue reading Basal meltwater is thawing the Greenland Ice Sheet from the bottom up

Two new studies join debate over presence of liquid water lake on Mars

Recent studies reported the discovery of lakes of liquid water below the polar ice caps on Mars, but others later refuted the find. Fueling the debate are two new independent studies, which have reached opposite conclusions.Continue ReadingCategory: Sp… Continue reading Two new studies join debate over presence of liquid water lake on Mars

Ancient ice reveals powerful solar storm during Sun’s “quiet” phase

The Sun is capable of some worryingly powerful outbursts. In ice cores from both ends of the planet, scientists have discovered evidence of an extreme solar storm that struck Earth around 9,200 years ago, and strangely, it seemed to have occurred durin… Continue reading Ancient ice reveals powerful solar storm during Sun’s “quiet” phase

Giant A-68 iceberg dumped 152 billion tonnes of freshwater into the sea

The four-year saga of iceberg A-68 may be over, but its environmental impacts are still being assessed. A new study has calculated that the largest chunk, A-68A, released billions of tonnes of freshwater into the sea right near a marine nature reserve,… Continue reading Giant A-68 iceberg dumped 152 billion tonnes of freshwater into the sea

Huge supply of subterranean water discovered in Mars’ Grand Canyon

A huge new deposit of water has been discovered on Mars in a formation often called the Red Planet’s Grand Canyon. The Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has detected an area about the size of the Netherlands where water could make up as much as 40 percent of the… Continue reading Huge supply of subterranean water discovered in Mars’ Grand Canyon

Soft surfaces keep water liquid well below freezing limit

We all learned in elementary school science that water freezes at 0 °C (32 °F) – but it’s actually not quite that simple. New experiments from the University of Houston have shown that tiny droplets can remain liquid right down to -44 °C (-47.2 °F), if… Continue reading Soft surfaces keep water liquid well below freezing limit