Category Environment/Geology

Stephen LaVoie at the University of Georgia studies inorganic mercury, which is known to cause neurological, kidney and autoimmune diseases. Credit: Dorothy Kozlowski/University of Georgia

Ionic salts as anti-icing agents have been extensively used to eliminate accumulation of ice on asphalt surfaces. However, salt can be easily removed by rain or automobiles and requires frequent application on roads. Besides this economic consideration, anti-icing agents compromise the mechanical properties of asphalt and have a negative impact on living organisms and the environment when used in large amounts. Incorporation of hydrophilic salts into bitumen, a hydrophobic asphalt binder, and controlled release of specific molecules from this hydrophobic medium can provide an effective solution for reducing ice formation on pavements.

Ritchey Crater, located near the Martian equator, has impact melt deposits containing clay minerals. Impact melt forms when rock melted during an impact cools and hardens. The clay minerals found within these deposits are very likely to have formed after the impact event. Most clay minerals on Mars are thought to have formed during the earliest Martian epoch, known as the Noachian. However, evidence from Ritchey crater and other post-Noachian craters, suggests that clay formation after the Noachian was not uncommon. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/Brown University

Mathieu Dumberry from the University of Alberta is one of only a few people in the world investigating changes in Earth rotation. Credit: John Ulan for the University of Alberta