Planetary scientist, organic chemist, astrobiologist, field scientist. Works at JPL. Champion of Titan exploration. Fascinated by life in Deep Ice. Studies the mysterious labyrinths and dissolution geology (karst) on Titan. Opinions expressed are my own. He/Him.
#PlanetaryScience
#astrobiology
#chemistry
#geomorphology
#geology
#karst
#cryosphere
#OceanWorlds
#DeepIce
#PlanetaryCaves
@footsteps
I've used storyMapJS by KnightLab. It is free AND you can download the .json and associated files and keep it for yourself, or use their FREE hosting service and get a link.
It doesn't have a lot of functionality, and few display options. But...it is very intuitive and you can be up and running in just a few minutes.
(It also has a "they will NEVER make me pay for this at some point" vibe to it.)
Check out: https://storymap.knightlab.com/
(An example I made: https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/309aee613c9ca5466ff4084b009c1549/analogs-of-saturn-s-moon-titan-in-death-valley-national-park-draft0/index.html)
Trump administration moves to tighten the noose around NASA science missions
"We would be turning off some fabulous missions that are doing extremely well."
@Hagukh @Still_Nimmy As a guess, you need fine-grained rocks to hold microkarren structures. So maybe this is an inclusion of limestone, dolomite, chert?, flint?.
Am thinking the mineral structure in that fine grained rock is so tight the lichen just can't break into it.
@Hagukh @Still_Nimmy OK. These pix helped. Can tell what is NOT the reason.
Can see some little tiny lines running down some of those rocks. Little dissolution runnels. They are cutting across the layering/foliation. They can trap water make little microhabitats. But...the lichen is totally ignoring those structures. So it is not based on surface water from microkarren.
@Hagukh @Still_Nimmy oh, bummer.
Is there a way you could a macro shot focusing on the surface grains of the rock? Your pix of the lichen were great! But maybe just a little higher resolution would help.
(It looks like the smooth rock was pretty fine grained, maybe flint?)
Any geological clues in area? (The free Rock'd app can tell you what types of rocks you expect here. Its a fun app. Recvomend.)
On two adjacent rocks I found this Hidden Goldspeck (Candelaria aurella) lichen.
It's interesting how this lichen only spreads out on one of the rocks in straight lines.
It is probably a matter of different layers of rock, of which I unfortunately understand nothing.
Does anyone know anything about this?
@Still_Nimmy @Hagukh This is way cool!
Are you able to chip off a small piece of that rock for a detailed look?
My guess is either induration/impermeable zones in rock (lichen can't get a foothold, except in certain foliation zones that are different.
OR
Rock in some zones is super friable. Lichens only get a slight toehold, but then get sloughed off. Except in certain foliation zones.
Getting a fresh surface and then peek for mineral grains/foliations with 10x loupe might give clue.
@tinker CNN had a fun interactive demo that day to show how ranked choive voting works using ice cream flavors as an example.
Here: https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2025/06/politics/ranked-choice-voting-explained-dg/
South Dakota Dep. Propaganda
Nick Stevens Graphics
Hans