Caltech Geology and Planetary Science News Releases

New Computer Model Explains Lakes and Storms on Titan

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:10:49 -0800

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is an intriguing, alien world that's covered in a thick atmosphere with abundant methane. Titan boasts methane clouds and fog, as well as rainstorms and plentiful lakes of liquid methane. The origins of many of these features, however, remain puzzling to scientists. Now, Caltech researchers have developed a computer model of Titan's atmosphere and methane cycle that, for the first time, explains many of these phenomena in a relatively simple and coherent way.

Ironing Out the Details of the Earth's Core

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:04:21 -0800

The highest-pressure vibrational spectrum of iron has been obtained by researchers working at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, providing important new clues to the behavior of iron in the Earth’s core.

Seismo Lab Mineral Physics Researchers Study Properties of Iron in Earth's Core

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:00:58 -0800

A team, including Seismo Lab assistant professor of mineral physics Jennifer Jackson and graduate student Caitlin Murphy (first author of the paper), has honed in on how iron behaves under the conditions found deep in the earth by conducting extremely high-pressure experiments on the element. The team used diamond anvil cells (DACs) to squeeze the iron samples, reproducing the types of pressures felt in the earth's core. Their research appears in the December 20 issue of Geophysical Research Letters.

Australia’s unusual sea-level history explained

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:22:20 -0700

Utilizing a newly created high-resolution geodynamic model, geophysicist and director of the Seismological Laboratory Michael Gurnis and a collaborative team of scientists have investigated Australia’s northward drift away from Antarctica and determined how this drift impacted the unusual sea-level history of Australia as compared to the rest of the world.

Implementation of earthquake early-warning system

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:21:22 -0700

Professor of Engineering Seismology Tom Heaton provides insight into the status of an earthquake early-warning system for California and the United States and discusses what it would take—fiscally and technically—to implement such a system.

Out-of-this-world researchers join GPS faculty

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:35:10 -0700

The latest faculty to join the ranks as assistant professors in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences spend a lot of time gazing toward the heavens. Bethany Ehlmann has been working on understanding environmental conditions early in Mars's history, while Heather Knutson focuses on characterizing the properties of the planets that orbit stars other than our sun.

Extraterrestrial Hurricanes: Other Planets Have Huge Storms, Too

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:41:50 -0700

Hurricane Irene was a significant event on Earth this past week, but it pales next to storms on our solar system's gas giants. Planetary scientist Andy Ingersoll describes some of the chaotic storms that can be seen in space.

4.2 earthquake rumbles through L.A. region

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:40:44 -0700

Seismic analyst Anthony Guarino explains that the energy produced by the 4.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Southern California on Thursday was about 178 times less than the energy produced by last week's East Coast quake.

A Wave of New Earth-Science Faculty Joins GPS Division

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 09:11:32 -0700

For Andrew Thompson, assistant professor of environmental science and engineering who joined GPS in August, growing up in Rhode Island gave him a natural affinity for the ocean. Now, he studies physical ocean science, focusing on eddies. While Thompson studies the way sea storms move things around, new faculty member and alum Victor Tsai, assistant professor of geophysics, is busy measuring the seismic noise produced by the movements of the ocean—partly from the crashing of waves onto the shore.

Mexico quake’s path veered from norm

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:16:08 -0700

Data from the El Mayor–Cucapah earthquake are providing unexpected and surprising results according to Jean-Phillipe Avouac, Tectonics Observatory director and principal investigator on a study of the quake. The team analyzing the data includes postdoctoral scholar Shengji Wei, JPL geophysicist Eric Fielding, and others. The story also ran in OurAmazingPlanet, redOrbit, and other media outlets.

Before the end

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:14:28 -0700

Geobiologist Joe Kirschvink and collaborators have found evidence of a pre-cursor extinction prior to the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

Yeast Get By on Almost No Oxygen

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:27:52 -0700

Geobiologist Joseph Kirschvink and colleague Jacob Waldbauer provide divergent comment on a study regarding how yeast may have thrived when Earth’s early atmosphere had less oxygen available.

A Freaky Fluid inside Jupiter

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:24:17 -0700

Planetary scientist David Stevenson comments on the properties of liquid metallic hydrogen and the possibility that it makes up a significant amount of Jupiter’s core. It is planned that the Juno mission will investigate and confirm this.

Putting climate studies under one roof

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:01:30 -0700

The new Ronald and Maxine Linde Center for Global Environmental Science was the front-page highlight of this new publication.

Their Mission: To Build a Better Toilet

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:00:20 -0700

Environmental scientist Michael Hoffmann’s development of a solar-powered sanitation system, which could help solve major health problems in some developing countries, was discussed in this front-page Business article.

NASA Picks Rover Destination: Mountain on Mars

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:17:54 -0700

Astrophysicist John Grotzinger explains why Gale Crater was selected as the landing spot for the Mars Science Laboratory.

Asteroid Is a Dance Partner for Planet Earth

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:16:37 -0700

Astronomer Mike Brown discusses the nature and behavior of the recently discovered, near-Earth asteroid, Trojan.

NASA's Spirit rover celebrated at JPL

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:22:42 -0700

Scientists and engineers celebrated the accomplishments of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on Tuesday at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Linde + Robinson Lab Making Headlines for Extraordinary Renovations

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:08:41 -0700

The world is taking note of the innovative work being done at Caltech—not just in the labs, but also in the unique renovations of our research spaces. The spring issue of Solutions Journal, a magazine of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), features an in-depth profile of the Linde + Robinson Laboratory, an astronomy facility built in 1932 that has undergone extensive renovations and will be the nation's first LEED Platinum laboratory.

New Study of Moon's Roughness Offers Insight into Its History

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 08:30:57 -0700

Like the faces of veterans comparing war wounds, the surface of our moon is scarred by a lifetime of damage—impact craters pockmarked with even more craters, sprayed ejecta, discolored regions laid down by volcanic flows. Studying these characteristics can reveal much about the processes that formed them, say Caltech graduate student Meg Rosenburg and her advisor Oded Aharonson, who have created the first comprehensive sets of maps revealing the roughness of the moon's surface.

Caltech-led Astronomers Find a New Class of Stellar Explosion

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:56:49 -0700

They're bright and blue—and a bit strange. They're a new type of stellar explosion that was recently discovered by a team of astronomers led by Caltech. Among the most luminous in the cosmos, these new kinds of supernovae could help researchers better understand star formation, distant galaxies, and what the early universe might have been like.

Evidence Mounts for Liquid Water on Enceladus

Tue, 31 May 2011 10:10:32 -0700

Planetary scientist Andrew Ingersoll substantiates the possibility of liquid water on Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

Study debunks theory on end of 'Snowball Earth' ice age

Tue, 31 May 2011 10:09:06 -0700

The widely accepted theory regarding the end of our "Snowball Earth" ice age has now been refuted by planetary scientists John Eiler and John Gotzinger.

Tohoku quake coincided with sky 'anomalies'

Tue, 31 May 2011 10:07:27 -0700

Seismologist Thomas Heaton provides commentary about the potential anomalies found in the atmosphere and the ionosphere over Japan prior to the earthquake. Scientists are determining whether or not that data could be used as early warning signals.

Evidence of Water Beneath Moon’s Stony Face

Tue, 31 May 2011 09:53:03 -0700

Planetary scientist David Stevenson is quoted in this piece regarding new evidence of water accumulation beneath the Moon's surface.

Researchers Release First Large Observational Study of 9.0 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake

Fri, 20 May 2011 08:54:41 -0700

When the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and resulting tsunami struck off the northeast coast of Japan on March 11, they caused widespread destruction and death. Using observations from a dense regional geodetic network (allowing measurements of earth movement to be gathered from GPS satellite data), globally distributed broadband seismographic networks, and open-ocean tsunami data, researchers have begun to construct numerous models that describe how the earth moved that day.

Caltech releases new information on Japan quake

Fri, 20 May 2011 07:37:38 -0700

A team of scientists, including some from Caltech, released a study Thursday that uses GPS modeling to provide new information on the massive Japanese earthquake that killed thousands and ravaged the island nation.

4.5-Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Yields New Mineral

Tue, 17 May 2011 11:31:39 -0700

Mineralogist George Rossman, in collaboration with senior scientist Chi Ma, geologist John Beckett, and others, has determined that a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite contains a new, previously undiscovered, mineral.

Scientists surprised by Genesis mission's solar wind data

Tue, 17 May 2011 11:30:08 -0700

Solar wind samples from the Genesis vehicle, which had crash-landed in the Utah desert in 2004, have generated valuable scientific data according to geochemist Donald Burnett.

Science in Progress: The Curious Case of the Shuram Excursion

Mon, 09 May 2011 13:11:53 -0700

About 540 million years ago, animal life on Earth suddenly boomed during an event known as the Cambrian explosion. In just tens of millions of years—a mere geological moment—life evolved rapidly, with all of the major groups of animals alive today making their first appearance. While researchers still aren't sure what could have triggered this burst of biodiversity, many suspect it had to do with a sudden rise in oxygen levels in the atmosphere, which would have allowed complex, multicellular organisms—and eventually higher organisms like ourselves—to flourish. Where this flood of oxygen came from is also a mystery, but whatever caused it, scientists know that it must have been a big event.

Extra-Cold Winters in Northeastern North America and Northeastern Asia?

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:32:52 -0700

This article discussed why the northeastern regions of the U.S. and Asia experience colder winters and detailed the research performed by environmental scientist Tapio Schneider.

Epic shoving match taking place far below Tibet

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:30:26 -0700

An article focusing on research performed by director of the Tectonics Observatory Jean-Phillipe Avouac and geologist Brian Wernicke notes that the composition of the Tibetan plateau is very different than once thought.

Early-quake alarm ready in 5 years

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:28:41 -0700

This article about the benefits of earthquake early-warning systems quoted engineering seismologist Tom Heaton.

Researchers Use GPS Data to Model Effects of Tidal Loads on Earth's Surface

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:29:19 -0700

For many people, Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite technology is little more than a high-tech version of a traditional paper map. Used in automobile navigation systems and smart phones, GPS helps folks find their way around a new neighborhood or locate a nearby restaurant. But GPS is doing much, much more for researchers at Caltech: it's helping them find their way to a more complete understanding of Earth's interior structure.

Seismologist reflects on his firsthand experience of the Japanese earthquake

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 06:54:53 -0700

Eminent seismologist Hiroo Kanamori, Caltech's Smits Professor of Geophysics, Emeritus, has been studying the movement of the earth his entire career. On March 11 he was in Tokyo, experiencing firsthand the largest earthquake in the country's recorded history.

Shock Absorber

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:19:44 -0700

Lucy Jones, a fourth-generation Californian, is Caltech’s go-to quake expert whose calm presence soothes us when the earth moves. The Big One? It’s coming

Big earthquake inevitable in California but tsunami unlikely, says seismologist

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:18:12 -0700

A big earthquake is expected to hit California sooner or later from now till the next 30 years, but it is unlikely to trigger devastating tsunami similar to what happened in Japan, says a seismologist at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Seismological Laboratory.

Devastating Earthquake Defied Expectations

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:16:20 -0700

An article about the devastating effects of the earthquake in Japan quoted seismologist Hiroo Kanamori.

Woodward Fischer awarded the 2011 Outstanding Young Scientist Award

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:26:09 -0800

Woodward Fischer, assistant professor of geobiology, has been chosen by the European Geosciences Union (EGU) to receive its 2011 Outstanding Young Scientist Award for the Division of Biogeosciences. The award will be presented at the EGU General Assembly, to be held in Vienna, April 3–8. Fischer received his BA from Colorado College in 2000 and his PhD from Harvard in 2007. He joined Caltech's faculty in 2009.