NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered honeycomb-like polygonal fractures in Mars’ Gale Crater in August, providing new evidence of the planet’s watery past. These textures, measuring 1.5 to 3 inches wide, suggest ancient cycles of temperature change or sediment compression that squeezed water from the surface, according to NASA. Polygonal Fractures and the Geology of Gale Crater … Read more
A amateur astronomer’s routine search for hiking routes on Google Maps has led to the identification of a massive 15.5-mile-wide meteorite impact crater in Quebec, Canada. Named Uhackatik, the site was confirmed by geologists following an investigation, marking one of the biggest impact crater discoveries in recent years, according to the Canadian Press. The Discovery … Read more
NASA’s Perseverance rover has identified organic carbon structures within sedimentary rocks in Mars’s Jezero Crater, providing evidence of a past environment capable of supporting microbial life. According to NASA, these potential biosignatures were found in mudstone dating back 3.2 to 3.8 billion years, a window when the crater was submerged under a now-evaporated water body. … Read more
New research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research indicates that tectonic stress levels at the Cajon Pass—a critical junction where the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems meet—have reached levels comparable to 1,000-year highs. Scientists warn that this accumulation of stress, situated just 50 miles from downtown Los Angeles, could allow future earthquakes … Read more
Researchers have identified a massive, fan-shaped system of geological basins hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. According to a study published in Nature Geoscience in June 2026, this interconnected network—named the East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province—was formed by rotational tectonic extension. The discovery links previously isolated features like the Wilkes and Aurora basins, providing … Read more