Science News Roundup: Rock collected by Apollo 17 astronaut in 1972 reveals moon's age; Ancient landscape formed by rivers revealed deep under Antarctic ice

Researchers said on Tuesday they have detected buried under the continent's ice sheet a vast ancient landscape, replete with valleys and ridges, apparently shaped by rivers before being engulfed by glaciation long ago. Rock collected by Apollo 17 astronaut in 1972 reveals moon's age During the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 - the last time people walked on the moon - U.S. astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan collected about 243 pounds (110.4 kg) of soil and rock samples that were returned to Earth for further study.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Ancient landscape formed by rivers revealed deep under Antarctic ice

Antarctica has not always been a desolate land of ice and snow. Earth's southernmost continent once was home to rivers and forests teeming with life. Using satellite observations and ice-penetrating radar, scientists are now getting a glimpse of Antarctica's lost world. Researchers said on Tuesday they have detected buried under the continent's ice sheet a vast ancient landscape, replete with valleys and ridges, apparently shaped by rivers before being engulfed by glaciation long ago.

Rock collected by Apollo 17 astronaut in 1972 reveals moon's age

During the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 - the last time people walked on the moon - U.S. astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan collected about 243 pounds (110.4 kg) of soil and rock samples that were returned to Earth for further study. A half century later, crystals of the mineral zircon inside a coarse-grained igneous rock fragment collected by Schmitt are giving scientists a deeper understanding about the moon's formation and the precise age of Earth's celestial partner.