Outcrop is a free iPhone and Android app that uses augmented reality to connect landscapes with geological maps. Point a phone at a canyon, road cut, distant ridge or other terrain, and the app overlays mapped rock formations, names the unit under the viewing reticle, and labels visible peaks and lakes. Its maps draw on Macrostrat data and cover bedrock worldwide; U.S. layers also include Quaternary deposits, recently active faults and soils. Users can tap the map to identify the rock beneath a chosen spot and explore its age, composition and formation.
The app also puts local geology into Earth’s broader history. Each rock unit has a timeline entry, while a subsurface column shows the sequence of formations, their ages, fossils and gaps in the geological record. A globe based on PALEOMAP reconstructions shows where a location sat when its rocks formed and how tectonic movement carried it to its present position. Search can locate particular rocks, ages or faults and indicate the nearest occurrence. Users can save map areas, terrain, labels and basemaps for offline exploration, although fossil records and live active-fault information require a connection. The app is designed both for looking up geology on site and for preparing areas in advance; it also offers satellite imagery and links to related field and flight-geology apps.
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An enhanced image of the Moon reveals subtle colors across its surface that are difficult to see with the naked eye. These color variations highlight differences in lunar minerals and terrain. (science.nasa.gov)
A proposed $70-billion Alberta data centre could release 18 gigawatts of waste heat daily and emit about 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, according to a physicist’s preliminary analysis. Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is seeking a court review and further consultation, arguing the project needs a full environmental assessment. (cbc.ca)
A global Wellcome survey found that trust in science and researchers declined after the COVID-19 pandemic, with attitudes varying across regions and economic groups. Confidence rose only in Europe, and people who felt financially insecure reported greater distance from science. (nature.com)
Brian May resumed his doctoral research on interplanetary dust 30 years after pausing it to pursue music with Queen. He says art and science are both essential to a complete human life and now promotes their connection through the Starmus festival. (english.elpais.com)
An Einstein paper that had not previously been translated into English is now available in English. The paper is hosted in Cambridge University’s online repository. (repository.cam.ac.uk)
Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa carried about 2,000 seeds from five tree species around the Moon in 1971 as part of a NASA-Forest Service project. After germination, seedlings were planted across the United States and abroad, becoming known as “Moon Trees” and commemorating the Apollo program. (nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov)
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