A swarm of spherical rovers, blown by the wind like tumbleweeds, could enable large-scale and low-cost exploration of the martian surface, according to results presented at the Joint Meeting of the Europlanet Science Congress and the Division for Planetary Sciences (EPSC-DPS) 2025. Recent experiments in a state-of-the-art wind tunnel and field tests in a quarry demonstrate that the rovers could be set in motion and navigate over various terrains in conditions analogous to those found on Mars. 

By integrating 13 published speleothem δ¹⁸O records from the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) region, this study systematically analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of the 8.2 (8.7–7.7) and 4.2 (4.7–3.7) ka BP abrupt climate events. The results indicate that both the temporal resolution and geographical location significantly affect the ability of the stalagmite δ¹⁸O sequences to record the 8.2 and 4.2 ka BP events. During the 8.2 ka BP event, δ¹⁸O records from both northern and southern sites showed pronounced positive excursions, whereas during the 4.2 ka BP event, δ¹⁸O records from the north and south exhibited contrasting patterns. These findings provide important evidence for understanding the mechanisms of abrupt climate change and for assessing regional climate sensitivity. The related results were published in Science China: Earth Sciences, Issue 9, 2025.