Reproducing the large Earth/Mars mass ratio requires a strong mass depletion in solids within the protoplanetary disk between 1 and 3 AU. The Grand Tack model invokes a specific migration […]
Astrogeology
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Plate Tectonic-Climate Coupling, Exposed Land Area, and Habitable Climates on Rocky Planets
The long-term carbon cycle is vital for maintaining liquid water oceans on rocky planets due to the negative climate feedbacks involved in silicate weathering. Plate tectonics plays a crucial role […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Press Release
Is Iron A Biological Element?
Think of an object made of iron: An I-beam, a car frame, a nail. Now imagine that half of the iron in that object owes its existence to bacteria living […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Planetary Sweet Spot: Plate Tectonics Depend on Elemental Abundances
Planet Earth is situated in what astronomers call the Goldilocks Zone — a sweet spot in a solar system where a planet’s surface temperature is neither too hot nor too […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones
Atmospheric Signs of Volcanic Activity Could Aid Search for Life
Planets with volcanic activity are considered better candidates for life than worlds without such heated internal goings-on. Now, graduate students at the University of Washington have found a way to […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Amino Acids in Chondrites
Many theories about the origins of life involve the delivery of organic molecules to the early Earth by objects from space. Previously, scientists have identified amino acids in carbon-rich meteorites. […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Press Release
Collisions of Small ice Particles Under Microgravity Conditions
Understanding the collisional properties of ice is important for understanding both the early stages of planet formation and the evolution of planetary ring systems. Simple chemicals such as methanol and […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Determining Interior Structure of Rocky Exoplanets From Mass and Radius Measurements
We present an inversion method based on Bayesian analysis to constrain the interior structure of terrestrial exoplanets, in the form of chemical composition of the mantle and core size. Specifically, […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
New Instrument Reveals Recipe for Other Earths
How do you make an Earth-like planet? The “test kitchen” of Earth has given us a detailed recipe, but it wasn’t clear whether other planetary systems would follow the same […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Study Hints that Ancient Earth Made Its Own Water Geologically
A new study is helping to answer a longstanding question that has recently moved to the forefront of earth science: Did our planet make its own water through geologic processes, […]