In the context of phenomena, “aeolian” refers to physical processes and resulting features driven by the action of wind on unconsolidated or loosely consolidated surface materials, primarily sediments. Aeolian phenomena encompass erosion (deflation and abrasion), transport (suspension, saltation, and surface creep), and deposition, leading to landforms such as dunes, loess deposits, and ripples. These processes are governed by factors including wind velocity and variability, grain-size distribution, surface roughness, moisture content, and vegetation cover. Aeolian dynamics are central to geomorphology and planetary science, contributing to landscape evolution on Earth as well as on other bodies with atmospheres, such as Mars and Titan.
A newly released panorama captured by NASA's Curiosity rover offers the most detailed view yet of distant, wind-carved Martian cliffs, highlighting features the mission's scientists have long been waiting to see up close. ...
Planetary Sciences
Oct 6, 2026
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71
Building with nature is an important concept in our coastal defense. After all, by harnessing natural processes, we are more resilient to sea level rise. A good understanding of these processes is therefore indispensable. ...
Ecology
Oct 5, 2026
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11
Solar farms built around China's Gobi Desert could have the unexpected benefit of reducing the dust pollution reaching cities across northern China.
Oxidized iron dominates the Martian color palette. The dusty reds, ochers, browns and tans give the planet its nickname: the Red Planet. But new images of Mars' south polar region show something different. Swirls of pink, ...
Planetary Sciences
Sep 21, 2026
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51
A new collaborative report from University of Utah researchers and coordinated by the Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy provides Utah Department of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Quality and policymakers ...
Environment
Sep 15, 2026
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10
A new study from Monash University has delivered the most complete and accurate digital map of Earth's windblown sand dunes to date. The research, published in Nature Communications, answers long-standing questions about ...
Planetary Sciences
Aug 20, 2026
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17
Imagine you wake up one morning and look out your window. You see a red sky, hear a ferocious blast of wind and watch as tree branches creak and crack. No, the apocalypse has not descended on your local neighborhood. You've ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 14, 2026
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11
Curiosity spent the week continuing to climb her way through the layers of Mount Sharp, exploring the sedimentary rock strip chart of Martian history. The rover has reached a layer where the science team had spotted a possible ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 31, 2026
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16
The European Space Agency's Mars Express has spotted a swath of metallic-looking waves filling Mars's large Kaiser Crater—an ancient and otherworldly dune field sculpted by wind.
Planetary Sciences
Jul 15, 2026
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39
Microplastic contamination has been a much-discussed topic over the last several years, but contamination from even smaller plastic particles represents another pressing issue. Nanoplastics—defined as being under a micrometer ...
