During the next couple weeks, NASA's Mars rover Opportunity is likely to reach the rim of a crater wider and deeper than any it has visited; known as "Victoria," it is approximately half a mile wide and 230 feet deep. Examination of the rocks exposed in the walls of the crater are expected to greatly increase the understanding of past conditions on Mars and the role of water.
Clemson University researchers, in conjunction with the Savannah River National Laboratory, are testing vegetable oil as a way to prevent contaminants from getting into ground water aquifers. According to the researchers, the method has the potential to help clean up chlorinated solvents.
The Arctic Ocean's perennial sea ice, which survives the summer melt season and remains year-round, shrank abruptly by 14 percent between 2004 and 2005, according to a newly published study.
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