What lies beneath the frozen surface of Mars’ south polar region has been a recent hot topic among researchers, and a new paper by Planetary Science Institute Research Scientist Isaac Smith refines ...

Mars' atmosphere is one of the planet's most scientifically controversial characteristics. We know that the Red Planet's atmosphere is incredibly sparse, but mounting evidence suggests it once ...

MIT geologists have found that tectonic activity gives rise to smectite, a type of clay that can sequester a surprising amount of organic carbon within its microscopic folds (shown here), over ...

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- A clay mineral known as smectite could hold a substantial portion of the water missing from Mars, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York ...

Clay minerals found naturally in soils around the U.S. and world form the three main types of clay used in pottery: porcelain, earthenware, and stoneware. A unique combination of the minerals kaolin, ...

Spectral color map from the CRISM instrument on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter draped over HiRISE imagery at the edge of the south polar ice cap. Specific colors from this map indicate the presence of ...