Peter Grindrod
@petergrindrod.bsky.social
Research Leader in Meteoritics & Planetary Science @NHM_London. Occasional cricket bat maker. he/him
Happy Halloween nerds 🎃
October 31, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Happy Halloween nerds 🎃
The atmosphere of Mars is too thin to effectively shield it from small meteors hitting the surface.
Here, a new, small (10 m) impact crater formed some time between 2010 and 2019.
Although the crater is small, the effects are widespread, with the seismic energy triggering lots of dust falls!
Here, a new, small (10 m) impact crater formed some time between 2010 and 2019.
Although the crater is small, the effects are widespread, with the seismic energy triggering lots of dust falls!
August 12, 2025 at 2:17 PM
The atmosphere of Mars is too thin to effectively shield it from small meteors hitting the surface.
Here, a new, small (10 m) impact crater formed some time between 2010 and 2019.
Although the crater is small, the effects are widespread, with the seismic energy triggering lots of dust falls!
Here, a new, small (10 m) impact crater formed some time between 2010 and 2019.
Although the crater is small, the effects are widespread, with the seismic energy triggering lots of dust falls!
New dust devil tracks at the Spirit landing site in Gusev crater, Mars.
CTX images, taken just 65 days apart at the end of 2006 / beginning of 2007.
CTX images, taken just 65 days apart at the end of 2006 / beginning of 2007.
May 21, 2025 at 3:20 PM
New dust devil tracks at the Spirit landing site in Gusev crater, Mars.
CTX images, taken just 65 days apart at the end of 2006 / beginning of 2007.
CTX images, taken just 65 days apart at the end of 2006 / beginning of 2007.
This is what a dust storm on Mars looks like.
As seen by the Curiosity rover in 2018. Images taken over nearly a month, with roughly the same view.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Peter Grindrod
As seen by the Curiosity rover in 2018. Images taken over nearly a month, with roughly the same view.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Peter Grindrod
January 24, 2025 at 12:22 PM
This is what a dust storm on Mars looks like.
As seen by the Curiosity rover in 2018. Images taken over nearly a month, with roughly the same view.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Peter Grindrod
As seen by the Curiosity rover in 2018. Images taken over nearly a month, with roughly the same view.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Peter Grindrod
Here's what plate tectonic movement looks like on Europa.
Part of the Northern Falga region, centred ~50N.
Animation, incredible work and data are all by Geoffrey Collins and co-authors (open access)
doi.org/10.1029/2022...
Part of the Northern Falga region, centred ~50N.
Animation, incredible work and data are all by Geoffrey Collins and co-authors (open access)
doi.org/10.1029/2022...
January 13, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Here's what plate tectonic movement looks like on Europa.
Part of the Northern Falga region, centred ~50N.
Animation, incredible work and data are all by Geoffrey Collins and co-authors (open access)
doi.org/10.1029/2022...
Part of the Northern Falga region, centred ~50N.
Animation, incredible work and data are all by Geoffrey Collins and co-authors (open access)
doi.org/10.1029/2022...
The disappearance of Lake Poopó, Bolivia.
It was the second largest lake in the country, but is now unlikely to return. Caused by climate change and diversion.
Animation made with Landsat images from USGS Earth Explorer
earthexplorer.usgs.gov
It was the second largest lake in the country, but is now unlikely to return. Caused by climate change and diversion.
Animation made with Landsat images from USGS Earth Explorer
earthexplorer.usgs.gov
January 7, 2025 at 4:17 PM
The disappearance of Lake Poopó, Bolivia.
It was the second largest lake in the country, but is now unlikely to return. Caused by climate change and diversion.
Animation made with Landsat images from USGS Earth Explorer
earthexplorer.usgs.gov
It was the second largest lake in the country, but is now unlikely to return. Caused by climate change and diversion.
Animation made with Landsat images from USGS Earth Explorer
earthexplorer.usgs.gov
Same! But I like to add cheesy 80s theme tune music...
January 7, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Same! But I like to add cheesy 80s theme tune music...
Happy back to work day for me today.
So ignoring the inbox fire by staring at a random rock on Mars, like everybody should.
Sol 1380 Mastcam-Z image from Perseverance. Approximately true and false colour comparison.
So ignoring the inbox fire by staring at a random rock on Mars, like everybody should.
Sol 1380 Mastcam-Z image from Perseverance. Approximately true and false colour comparison.
January 7, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Happy back to work day for me today.
So ignoring the inbox fire by staring at a random rock on Mars, like everybody should.
Sol 1380 Mastcam-Z image from Perseverance. Approximately true and false colour comparison.
So ignoring the inbox fire by staring at a random rock on Mars, like everybody should.
Sol 1380 Mastcam-Z image from Perseverance. Approximately true and false colour comparison.
A nice Christmas present - my first InSight paper is out! Open access too.
doi.org/10.1029/2024...
Say hello to the Sol 1034a impact crater, the nearest one to InSight.
It was a tough one to find in images. Only 9 m in diameter, but has made over 900 secondary craters!
doi.org/10.1029/2024...
Say hello to the Sol 1034a impact crater, the nearest one to InSight.
It was a tough one to find in images. Only 9 m in diameter, but has made over 900 secondary craters!
December 20, 2024 at 9:56 AM
A nice Christmas present - my first InSight paper is out! Open access too.
doi.org/10.1029/2024...
Say hello to the Sol 1034a impact crater, the nearest one to InSight.
It was a tough one to find in images. Only 9 m in diameter, but has made over 900 secondary craters!
doi.org/10.1029/2024...
Say hello to the Sol 1034a impact crater, the nearest one to InSight.
It was a tough one to find in images. Only 9 m in diameter, but has made over 900 secondary craters!
Trying to clear up the view a little bit.
Upscaled, stretched colour, sharpened, removed vignette...
Upscaled, stretched colour, sharpened, removed vignette...
December 11, 2024 at 11:15 AM
Trying to clear up the view a little bit.
Upscaled, stretched colour, sharpened, removed vignette...
Upscaled, stretched colour, sharpened, removed vignette...
Some parts of Mars really do change a lot between images.
Here are 2 CTX images of exactly the same region taken about 7 years apart (Dec 2007 - Jan 2015).
Lots of dust devil tracks, and wind streaks. But also, a new impact crater.
Here are 2 CTX images of exactly the same region taken about 7 years apart (Dec 2007 - Jan 2015).
Lots of dust devil tracks, and wind streaks. But also, a new impact crater.
November 22, 2024 at 10:54 AM
Some parts of Mars really do change a lot between images.
Here are 2 CTX images of exactly the same region taken about 7 years apart (Dec 2007 - Jan 2015).
Lots of dust devil tracks, and wind streaks. But also, a new impact crater.
Here are 2 CTX images of exactly the same region taken about 7 years apart (Dec 2007 - Jan 2015).
Lots of dust devil tracks, and wind streaks. But also, a new impact crater.
Mars is a colourful planet part 73...
Here is part of Oxia Planum (landing site for ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover) seen by CTX (1 band) and CaSSIS (4 bands) cameras.
The image is 'false colour', as it is not how our eyes would see it. But the colour is really useful as a proxy for composition.
Here is part of Oxia Planum (landing site for ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover) seen by CTX (1 band) and CaSSIS (4 bands) cameras.
The image is 'false colour', as it is not how our eyes would see it. But the colour is really useful as a proxy for composition.
November 20, 2024 at 5:48 PM
Mars is a colourful planet part 73...
Here is part of Oxia Planum (landing site for ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover) seen by CTX (1 band) and CaSSIS (4 bands) cameras.
The image is 'false colour', as it is not how our eyes would see it. But the colour is really useful as a proxy for composition.
Here is part of Oxia Planum (landing site for ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover) seen by CTX (1 band) and CaSSIS (4 bands) cameras.
The image is 'false colour', as it is not how our eyes would see it. But the colour is really useful as a proxy for composition.