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Geolens

Glossary

417 words used in the labs.

Find a term from the labs, understand the process behind it, and see how it appears in the landscape. Each entry connects an explanation with a real observation and a model you can explore.

Term

Ice giant

Uranus or Neptune: a giant planet with a hydrogen–helium atmosphere and an interior enriched in substances such as water, ammonia and methane. These are not simply layers of ordinary frozen ice.

What to look for

NASA/JPL Voyager 2 image assembled from green and orange filter observations in August 1989. Neptune is an ice giant; its displayed deep blue is enhanced relative to its natural appearance.

Related labs

Solar system →
Voyager 2 image of Neptune's blue disc showing cloud bands and the Great Dark Spot.
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Explore further with USGS water glossary · USGS volcano glossary · NPS glacial geology · NASA Earth facts. Photograph acknowledgements are collected on the Image credits page.