Impact-induced erosion of the Earth’s early crust during accretion of terrestrial bodies can significantly modify the primordial chemical composition of the Bulk Silicate Earth (BSE, that is, the composition of […]
Astrogeology
Posted inAstrogeology, Fossils & Paleontology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs
Curiosity Rover Reaches Long-Awaited Salty Region On Mars
The rover has arrived at a special region believed to have formed as Mars’ climate was drying.
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Oxygen Controls On Magmatism In Rocky Exoplanets
Refractory oxygen bound to cations is a key component of the interior of rocky exoplanets. Its abundance controls planetary properties including metallic core fraction, core composition, and mantle and crust […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Press Release
Internal Or External Magma Oceans In The Earliest Protoplanets — Perspectives From Nitrogen And Carbon Fractionation
When the extent of protoplanetary melting approached magma ocean (MO)-like conditions, alloy melts efficiently segregated from the silicates to form metallic cores.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Material Properties Of Organic Liquids, Ices, And Hazes On Titan
Titan has a diverse range of materials in its atmosphere and on its surface: the simple organics that reside in various phases (gas, liquid, ice) and the solid complex refractory […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Meteorite Petrology Versus Genetics: Toward A Unified Binominal Classification
The current meteorite taxonomy, a result of two centuries of meteorite research and tradition, entangles textural and genetic terms in a less than consistent fashion, with some taxa (like shergottites) […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
An Ocean Inside Earth? There Is Water Hundreds Of Kilometers Down
The transition zone between the Earth’s upper and lower mantle contains considerable quantities of water, according to an international study involving the Institute for Geosciences at Goethe University in Frankfurt.
Posted inAstrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Citizen Science / Open Science, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release
Away Team Tools: Virtual Hiking Map for Jezero Crater – Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Site
Prospective Mars explorers can now go for a virtual hike around the landing site of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover with an interactive map loaded with orbital imagery, terrain data […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Life Imitates Mica
In mythologies and origin stories around the world, various cultures and religions point to clay as the vessel of life, the primordial material that creator gods imbued with a self-sustaining […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Variability Due To Climate And Chemistry In Observations Of Oxygenated Earth-analogue Exoplanets
The Great Oxidation Event was a period during which Earth’s atmospheric oxygen (O2) concentrations increased from ∼10−5 times its present atmospheric level (PAL) to near modern levels, marking the start […]