Images

Image of Ouzel Falls with a list of materials identified within it, including large, millimeter-scale regions rich in phosphate. Data from PIXL is laid over the image. Colored squares show different areas where PIXL’s X-ray beam scanned the rock’s surface.

A 360 degree mosaic compiled by NASA of Perseverance Rover overlooking Airey Hill, the parking spot for the rover during the solar conjunction in 2023.

Background: USGS Photo of Porkchop Geyer in Yellowstone. Foreground: A cartoon turkey wearing an astronaut helmet looks sheepishly at Porkchop Geyser erupting nearby. Cartoon images of common Thanksgiving side dishes are also placed around the turkey (in this case, a gravy boat and an ear of corn). 

Background: USGS/NASA Photo of Venus. Foreground: A cartoon turkey wearing an astronaut helmet while floating in space looks towards Venus. Cartoon images of common Thanksgiving side dishes are also placed around the turkey (in this case, dinner rolls and a green bean casserole).

Background: USGS/NASA Photo of the Moon

Foreground: A cartoon turkey wearing an astronaut helmet while floating in space looks towards the Moon. Cartoon images of common Thanksgiving side dishes are also placed around the turkey (in this case, creamed corn and mashed potatoes).

Background: USGS/NASA Photo of Io. Foreground: A cartoon turkey wearing an astronaut helmet while floating in space looks towards Io. Cartoon images of common Thanksgiving side dishes are also placed around the turkey (in this case, cranberry sauce and a pumpkin pie).

A simplified view of the classical model for terrestrial planet formation (not to scale). From top to bottom: The central star is surrounded by nebular gas and dust where early solids form.

Different giant-impact histories can result in an iron-rich body (indicated with the letter C):

Top: A catastrophic collision (e.g., Benz et al. 2007).

Middle: A hit-and-run collision (e.g., Asphaug & Reufer 2014).

Bottom: A chain of hit-and-run collisions (e.g., Chau et al. 2018).

Photo of  ASC Director, Dr. Justin Hagerty (nearest the table) and Research Geologist Dr. Greg Vaughan greets visitor at open house.

USGS scientist, Brent Archinal, begins a tour from the lobby of Astrogeology Science Center during open house 

Lori Pigue is enjoying showing off a rock at Flagstaff Science Center’s Open House on September 5th.

Left Photo: Visitors were amazed at seeing, reading, and learning about the kinds of fish that are native to Arizona.

Dr. Ryan Anderson interacts with River’s space science collection. Using LEGO bricks, River built his own version of a Mars rover, and Ingenuity, the helicopter. Also here is the space shuttle, LRV, a research base, and the lunar space station.

This is a photo of one of several boats GCMRC has that they take to do research on rivers. The boats are custom built to either carry research equipment, trip supplies, or navigate and assist in data collection. 

If you tried to imagine what a “Gravity Van” was, what would you imagine? Visitors learned about the USGS’s Gravity Program Gravity Van, which holds special equipment for measuring ground water characteristics. The Gravity Van allows scientists to map changes in groundwater storage and to improve models that simulate groundwater flow.

GMEG presented a collection of Arizona rocks and minerals keyed to a geologic map of the state. Rocks ranged from pieces of recent lava flows, thousand-year-old basalts, to the oldest rocks in the southwest, the Elves Chasm gneiss (1.84 billion years old).

This is a screenshot from the video "Two planets merging by giant impact".

Screenshot from a computer simulation of two planets undergoing a hit-and-run giant impact. This style of collision comprises around half of the giant impacts expected to occur during the latter stages of Solar System formation. The larger (target) body is one tenth the mass of the Earth and the smaller (impactor) body is 70% the mass of the target.

Screenshot of a computer simulation of two planets undergoing a disruptive giant impact. Disruptive collisions are not expected to be common in Solar System formation, and due to numerical effects, the amount of disruption shown here is likely overestimated.

This image was taken by Left Navigation Camera onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 3899 (July 26, 2023).

This photograph shows the lobby of the Astrogeology Science Center in July 2023. "Grover" the rover that USGS built to train the Apollo astronauts before their trips to the Moon is on display.