Latest news with #Cascioli
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Venus may still be 'alive' after all, shocking reanalysis of 30-year-old NASA data reveals
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists have uncovered fresh evidence that Venus is not dead — geologically speaking. Venus and Earth are similar in size and were bombarded by comparable amounts of water billions of years ago. This shared origin has long fueled one of planetary science's biggest questions: Why did Venus become a hellish, uninhabitable world while Earth flourished into a cradle for life? Now, more than three decades after NASA's Magellan spacecraft mapped Venus' surface, scientists have found signs of hot material rising from the planet's interior, indicating that its crust is still being sculpted from within. The findings, published May 14 in the journal Science Advances, add to a growing body of evidence that Venus, despite lacking Earth's plate tectonics, may share more internal dynamics with our planet than scientists previously thought. Related: Molecule responsible for robbing Venus of its water may finally have been identified "This research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus," Gael Cascioli, an assistant research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland who co-led the new study, said in a statement. The latest evidence focuses on dozens of large, ring-shaped features on Venus' surface. These features, known as coronae, form when plumes of hot rock rise from deep within the mantle, pushing the crust upward. As the surface cools and collapses, a circular structure is left behind. Cascioli and his team simulated several formation scenarios for these features and compared their results with data from Magellan. The predicted and actual data aligned so closely for some coronae that "we could hardly believe our eyes," Cascioli told Scientific American. Of the 75 coronae they resolved in the Magellan data, 52 appear to sit above buoyant mantle plumes, according to the new study. "We can now say there are most likely various and ongoing active processes driving their formation," Anna Gülcher, a planetary scientist at the University of Bern in Switzerland who co-led the new study, said in the statement. "We believe these same processes may have occurred early in Earth's history." Venus hosts hundreds of such coronae, many of which are found in areas where the planet's crust is particularly thin and heat from below is high. Recent research simulated how different rock types behave under Venus' extreme conditions. The findings suggest that the planet's crust may break off or melt once it reaches around 40 miles (65 kilometers) thick, and in many areas, it is likely even thinner. "That is surprisingly thin, given conditions on the planet," Justin Filiberto, deputy chief of NASA's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division in Houston, who co-authored the study about Venus' crust, said in a different statement. This shedding or melting of the crust not only helps regulate Venus' surface structure but could also recycle water and other materials back into the planet's interior, potentially fueling volcanic activity and influencing its atmosphere, Filiberto explained. "It resets the playing field for how the geology, crust and atmosphere on Venus work together," he said. These recent findings offer testable predictions for upcoming missions to Venus that will gather direct data about the planet's crust and geology to refine existing models. RELATED STORIES —Japan loses contact with Akatsuki, humanity's only active Venus probe —Venus is leaking carbon and oxygen, and scientists aren't totally sure why —Photographer snaps extremely rare 'green flash' coming from Venus Scientists aim to pinpoint areas of surface activity using data from NASA's VERITAS mission, which will map the planet's surface at a resolution two to four times higher than previous missions. Another NASA mission, DAVINCI, slated for 2029, will focus on studying Venus' atmosphere and surface chemistry, while the European Space Agency's EnVision mission, targeted for 2030, will provide high-resolution surface mapping. These missions will deliver "a level of detail that could revolutionize our understanding of Venus's geology and its implications for early Earth," study co-author Suzanne Smrekar, a planetary scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, said in the statement.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Plattsburgh students give to local school
The Student Nursing Association at Plattsburgh State is taking direct action to help local students in and around the Plattsburgh and Clinton County area. Lately, Cardinals in the Nursing Program have been helping young students at Beekmantown Central School District. To give back to the local community, SNAPS is taking the initiative to support Beekmantown Elementary, Middle and High School children through a clothing and hygiene drive. Their mission is aimed to foster a supportive environment and bond for nursing students to make as much of a positive impact as possible in the North Country. SNAPS provides an applied learning experience for SUNY Plattsburgh nursing students to find a space to connect. Through trial, tribulations, and shared experiences, each Card mentors one another throughout the rigorous program. 'The nursing program can be demanding at times, so it is nice to have other people who are going through the same program,' said SNAPS student representative Breanna Cascioli. Older students often guide younger students, offering experience, advice, and encouragement. Yet, the organization's reach extends beyond the city of Plattsburgh to the broader Clinton County community. The drives at Beekmantown CSD are just the latest exhibitions on how SNAPS make an impact through applied learning. 'SNAPS not only offers support to the nursing program at Plattsburgh but to the Plattsburgh Community,' Cascioli said. 'SNAPS has done multiple hygiene drives in the past, like Trunk or Treat at the field house for local children.' For upperclassmen in SNAPS, the experience they gain helps them for the future past graduation. Most of their knowledge comes from engagement with public health nursing. Plattsburgh students in the Nursing Program are given a chance to work directly in the community through the JCEO Head Starts, Alliance Health and several local school districts around the area. Beekmantown, alongside SNAPS, serves students who may not have clean socks or enough fresh clothes or hygiene products. 'The school nurses at Beekmantown truly care about their students,' Cascioli said. 'Many of them even bring needed items of their own to the school for the children and teens.' For students who may not have the accessibility to or knowledge about the power of clean clothes and good hygiene, SNAPS and the school district help to alleviate some of the challenges for the Beekmantown Eagles. 'The clothing items can give confidence to children and teens. Having clean clothes picked out for each day can make a difference in the level of confidence a person has,' Cascioli said. Rather than worrying about their basic needs, a simple drive like the ones at Beekmantown can provide kids with the essentials to finding their confidence and focusing on school. Just about anyone at Plattsburgh State can help to move the needle in the area. Outside of SNAPS, students from all majors can help by donating clothing and hygiene items, spreading awareness, or reaching out to local facilities to see where assistance is needed. 'Any student can make a difference on campus or in the community,' Casicoli said. 'Students can reach out to the facilities around the community and ask how they can help. JCEOs, Alliance Health, and the schools around the community are good places to reach out to.' For future health care professionals, SUNY Plattsburgh's Nursing Program understands the importance of engaging the community beyond campus. The invitation is extended to Cardinals on campus, faculty and the local community to aid. People like Cascioli believe that through a joint effort, SNAPS, SUNY Plattsburgh and the North Country can make an impact on local kids, giving them access to the necessities they need to succeed. 'As future nurses, SNAPS must support the community. It is important to take initiative within the communities around to help promote overall health and well being.'
