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Land Surface News

Articles, resources, and announcements from Land Surface.

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U.S. Navy officer Jonathan Myers explains to his colleague April Beldo how to use a marine sextant during a demonstration of celestial navigation.

Where on Earth?

Knowing exactly where you are isn't good enough for science.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

This artist’s depiction shows the Mars Rover on the surface of Mars. Because of precise information about Earth’s length of day and orientation, NASA was able to directly land the Rover on Mars.

When a Day is Not a Day

As the Earth turns, unlikely events can be a drag.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

Curved barchan dunes and a straight seif dune lie in the north polar region of Mars, where the first significant change to sand dunes was detected in 2008.

Unearthly Dunes

Slow-moving landforms in Alaska decipher the frigid surface of Mars.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

A mule deer doe and her fawn trudge through deep snow in Idaho.

Tracking Survival Among Idaho's Mule Deer

Satellite sensing of summer plants and winter snow helps biologists predict mule deer populations.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

This aerial view shows Spectacle Reef Light on the northwest side of Lake Huron, 11 miles east of Bois Blanc Island. (Courtesy US Coast Guard)

To the Lighthouse

Where is the water going in the Great Lakes?

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

This stovepipe tornado formed on May 31, 2010, near the border between Colorado and Oklahoma.

The Dirt on Tornadoes

Moisture on the ground may fuel more violence in the sky.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

Researchers Matthew Pritchard and Gabriel Gonzalez examine a large crack caused by an earthquake in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

Shake, Rattle, and Sink

Volcanoes find earthquakes quite unsettling.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

Scientists and citizen volunteers are observing first bloom and first leaf dates of lilacs and other plants to gather data on the timing of spring.

Seeing Climate through the Lives of Plants

Ground observers and satellites monitor plant life cycles and the timing of seasons.

Feature Article

Dec. 28, 2020

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