Current Events

  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.
  • Earth's Center Is 1,000 Degrees Hotter Than Previously Thought, Synchrotron X-Ray Experiment Shows
    Scientists have determined the temperature near the Earth’s center to be 6000 degrees Celsius, 1000 ...Read more

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    Earth's Center Is 1,000 Degrees Hotter Than Previously Thought, Synchrotron X-Ray Experiment Shows

    Scientists have determined the temperature near the Earth’s center to be 6000 degrees Celsius, 1000 degrees hotter than in a previous experiment run 20 years ago. These measurements confirm geophysical models that the temperature difference between the solid core and the mantle above, must be at least 1500 degrees to explain why the Earth has a magnetic field. For more information about this study, see the press release from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
  • Ocean Volcanic Rocks Contain Samples of Recycled Crust
    Scientists have long believed that lava erupted from certain oceanic volcanoes contains materials fr...Read more

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    Ocean Volcanic Rocks Contain Samples of Recycled Crust

    Scientists have long believed that lava erupted from certain oceanic volcanoes contains materials from the early Earth’s crust. But decisive evidence for this phenomenon has proven elusive. New research from a team including Carnegie’s Erik Hauri demonstrates that oceanic volcanic rocks contain samples of recycled crust dating back to the Archean era 2.5 billion years ago. Their work is published in Nature. Oceanic crust sinks into the Earth’s mantle at so-called subduction zones, where two plates come together. Much of what happens to the crust during this journey is unknown. Model-dependent studies for how long subducted material can exist in the mantle are uncertain and evidence of very old crust returning to Earth’s surface via upwellings of magma has not been found until now. For more information about these results, see the press release from the Carnegie Institution.

Mars Pathfinder Image List




This image shows the Rover and terrain. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Airbags. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


This image is a 360 degree panorama of the Martian landscape from the Mars Pathfinder lander. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Yogi + Rover tracks. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Rover's view of rocks & lander. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The Rover at work. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


This image shows 3 classes of rock. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)



Surroundings



Twin peaks near the Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The Ares Valles outflow plain. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The Mars Pathfinder landing site & Ares Valles outflow plain. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)



Soils



Soils of Mars. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Soils of Mars. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Soil of Mars at the Mermaid dune. [There is no large version of this image]. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)



Rocks



Sojourner, Barnacle Bill, and Yogi. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Rocks near the Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Rocks near the Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The Rock Yogi. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The Rover studies the rock called Yogi. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The Rover studies Barnacle Bill. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


A rock called Poohbear. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


A rock called Ender. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


A rock called Flat Top. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


A rock called mini-Matterhorn. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


A rock called the Shark. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The Souffle rock. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


A conglomerate at the Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)



Drifts



Wind drifts at the Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Wind drifts at the Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Wind drifts at the Mars Pathfinder landing site, & Souffle rock. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Wind drifts at the *Viking I* landing site (labeled). (Courtesy JPL/NASA)



Sanddunes



Sanddunes at the Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The Mermaid dune. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Jenkins dune. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Sand dune images from the *Viking I landing site*, Chryse Planitia Basin (check the large topographic map of Mars). (Courtesy NASA/JPL)



Pebbles



Pebbles at the Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Pebbles at the Mars Pathfinder landing site. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)



Clouds



Clouds of Mars. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Clouds of Mars. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Clouds of Mars. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Clouds of Mars. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Temperature profile of the Martian atmosphere. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Temperature profile of the Martian atmosphere. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)



Sunsets



Sunset of Mars. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Sunset of Mars. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Sunset of Mars. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)



People involved with the Mars Pathfinder Mission



Some of the excited engineers and staff of the mission on landing day. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


The staff of the mission being congratulated by the Vice-President of the United States at a press conference. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)


Some of the excited engineers and staff of the mission on landing day, including the project manager, standing in the middle of the picture. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)



Mars '98



The Mars '98 spacecraft being prepared for launch. (Courtesy JPL/NASA)
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