Planetary scientists sharing ideas and discoveries.

Planetary Science Research Discoveries (PSRD) is an educational site sharing the latest research by NASA-sponsored scientists on meteorites, asteroids, planets, moons, and other materials in our Solar System. With original support from the Planetary Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate and Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium, this site is a vital link for planetary and space sciences, and for learning how science works.

Archive of Earth Articles

Articles listed by publication date.

DATE POSTED	HEADLINE ARTICLES	PDF VERSIONS
24 MAR 2021	The Tarnished Moon by G. Jeffrey Taylor Remote sensing observations reveal the presence of ferric iron in the form of the mineral hematite at high latitudes on the Moon, possibly the product of reaction of ferrous iron on the Moon with oxygen from the Earth's upper atmosphere.
APRIL 2020	Cosmic Dust in Planetary Atmospheres by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - Models and experiments show the fate of cosmic dust that enters the atmospheres of planets and how ionization and ablation of the cosmic dust influences chemistry all the way to the surface.
24 MAR 2020	Hydrogen Isotopes in Small Lunar Samples Provide Clues to the Origin of the Earth and Moon by G. Jeffrey Taylor Small samples of igneous rocks from the Moon have low deuterium/hydrogen ratios, indicating that some planetary bodies involved in the formation of the Earth and Moon trapped gas from the solar nebula.
MAR 2020	Looking Up to Understand Down: Studying Other Planets to Learn about Earth by G. Jeffrey Taylor CosmoSparks Report - Comparative planetary science is the art of learning about all the planets so we can understand what processes operated during their formation and geologic evolution.
OCT 2019	Dust Delivered to Earth from the Breakup of the L-chondrite Parent Body by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - Researchers consider the significance of the Ordovician-time influx of extraterrestrial dust on sudden global cooling and increase in diversity of marine life on Earth.
24 APRIL 2019	Volatile Elements Test Models for the Origin of the Moon by G. Jeffrey Taylor Volatile elements that concentrate in metallic iron elucidate the processes that operated during formation and initial differentiation of the Moon.
20 DEC 2018	The Complicated Origin of Earth's Water by G. Jeffrey Taylor Water delivery and redistribution to Earth was a complicated business with hydrogen coming from chondritic and solar nebular sources.
APRIL 2018	Microtektites by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - Microtektites from a glacial moraine near Larkman Nunatak, Antarctica are related to the Australasian strewn field.
JULY 2017	More on the Building Blocks of Planet Earth by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - Isotopic data from meteorites are used in the search for Earth-forming materials.
MAY 2017	Flux of O⁺ Ions from Earth to the Moon by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - Terrestrial O⁺ ions escape to the lunar surface when Earth's magnetosphere blocks the Moon from the solar wind.
JAN 2017	When Achondrites Surpassed Ordinary Chondrites in the Meteorite Flux to Earth by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - Before the breakup of the L-chondrite parent body, achondrites rained down on the Middle Ordovician Earth.
11 NOV 2016	Searching for Ancient Solar System Materials on the Moon, Earth, and Mars by G. Jeffrey Taylor The early history of the Solar System is recorded by meteorites falling now, but also by those that fell hundreds of millions to billions of years ago, preserved in lunar samples, sedimentary layers on Earth, and even sitting on the surface of Mars.
JULY 2016	Remnants of Earth's Construction by G. Jeffrey Taylor CosmoSparks Report - Tungsten isotopic data from modern flood basalts show that regions of Earth's mantle have remained chemically isolated since they formed during accretion of the planet.
30 NOV 2015	Primeval Water in the Earth by G. Jeffrey Taylor Hydrogen isotopes in lavas derived from the deep mantle suggest the presence of a component inside the Earth that came directly from the primordial solar nebula.
17 JUNE 2015	Tungsten Isotopes, Formation of the Moon, and Lopsided Addition to Earth and Moon by G. Jeffrey Taylor A distinct difference in tungsten isotopic composition between the Moon and Earth is consistent with the Moon and Earth starting with the same isotopic composition, but then modified by late accretion of different amounts of chondritic asteroids.
MAY 2015	Modeling Water Adsorption on Olivine Crystals in the Solar Nebula by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - Modeling results suggest a pathway for the formation of phyllosilicates, which could have been accreted into Earth.
28 JAN 2015	Water in Asteroid 4 Vesta by G. Jeffrey Taylor The big, melted asteroid 4 Vesta provides clues to the source of water to Earth and Mars.
NOV 2013	World Notice: 10,000 Near-Earth Objects and Details About One That Landed in Russia by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - International space agencies, observatories, and the United Nations plan to coordinate NEO efforts.
JULY 2012	Water, Carbonaceous Chondrites, and Earth by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - The drive continues to understand all the possible sources of Earth's water.
OCT 2011	Earth's Heat by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - It is now possible to measure the radiogenic heat production inside Earth, previously estimated from element ratios in chondritic meteorites.
APRIL 2011	The Role of H₂S in Amino Acid Synthesis on Primordial Earth and Elsewhere by Linda M. V. Martel CosmoSparks Report - Intriguingly similar abundances of amino acids from historic lab samples and carbonaceous chondrites.
22 FEB 08	Compositional Balancing Before Moon Formation by G. Jeffrey Taylor The identical oxygen isotopic composition of Earth and Moon might be explained by exchange of material between the proto-Earth and the surrounding proto-lunar disk.
7 JULY 05	Squeezing and Heating Rock to Scope Out How Metallic Iron Dribbled to the Center of the Earth by G. Jeffrey Taylor Experiments showing how cobalt and nickel concentrate in molten metal shed light on the formation of Earth's metallic core.
13 APRIL 05	Antarctic Guide to Martian Weathering by Linda M. V. Martel Soils in the Antarctic Dry Valleys contain traces of silicate alteration products and secondary salts much like those found in Martian meteorites.
9 MAR 04	Tiny Traces of a Big Asteroid Breakup by Linda M. V. Martel Fossil meteorites and chromite grains record a hundred-fold increase in the number of meteorites that fell 480 million years ago compared to the meteorite influx today.
28 FEB 02	Searching Antarctic Ice for Meteorites by Linda M. V. Martel Silver anniversary season: The vigorous life and times of the ANSMET team at Meteorite Hills resulted in a new set of 336 meteorites collected off the ice.
28 FEB 01	Buckyballs and Gases May Mark Massive Extinction by G. Jeffrey Taylor Helium and argon isotopes in fullerenes suggest an impact triggered the incredible extinction that marks the end of the Permian period.
31 DEC 98	Origin of the Earth and Moon by G. Jeffrey Taylor First hand report of the December 1998 conference on the formation and very early history of the Earth and Moon.
11 DEC 97	Damage by Impact: the case at Meteor Crater, Arizona by Linda M. V. Martel A look at the pre- and post-impact environments at Meteor Crater, Arizona provides insight into Earth's impact history. Just how often does this sort of impact event occur on Earth? We'll examine the potential hazards.
21 DEC 96	Life Underground by G. Jeffrey Taylor Some bacteria live on nothing but rock and water, extracting energy from chemical reactions rather than from sunlight.
21 DEC 96	Meteorites from Mars, Rocks from Canada by Rachel C. Friedman There is more to Mars rocks than suspected fossils. Scientists are using ancient lava flows in eastern Ontario to understand the formation of a group of meteorites from Mars.
18 OCT 96	Rules for Identifying Ancient Life by G. Jeffrey Taylor Scientists seeking the oldest fossils on Earth have developed rules for establishing that they have found fossils and that the fossils formed in place.

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