Sandia switches to hydrogen weather balloons

More than three years ago, the Sandia National Laboratories-operated atmospheric measurement facility in Alaska switched from launching helium-filled weather balloons to launching weather balloons filled with hydrogen produced on-site. By switching the gas used in their weather balloons, it has reduced its metaphorical footprint on the fragile Arctic ecosystem. Since then, the site has launched nearly 5,000 hydrogen balloons with minimal issues.

New model shows Earth’s deep mantle was drier from the start

By analyzing noble gas isotope data, a scientist determined that the ancient plume mantle had a water concentration that was a factor of 4 to 250 times lower when compared with the water concentration of the upper mantle. The resulting viscosity contrast could have prevented mixing within the mantle, helping to explain certain long-standing mysteries about Earth’s formation and evolution.

Best Region For Life on Mars Was Far Below Surface

The most habitable region for life on Mars would have been up to several miles below its surface, likely due to subsurface melting of thick ice sheets fueled by geothermal heat, a Rutgers-led study concludes. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, may help resolve what’s known as the faint young sun paradox – a lingering key question in Mars science.