Astrogeology Archives

Astrobiology (general), Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, NASA Astrobiology Program, Origin & Evolution of Life, People Of Astrobiology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, SETI & Technosignatures, Status Report

Report: An Astrobiology Strategy For The Search For Life In The Universe

by Keith CowingOctober 10, 2018August 16, 2025

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; Space Studies Board; Committee on Astrobiology Science Strategy for the Search for Life in the Universe.

Astrogeology, Press Release

Iron-silica Particles Unlock Part of the Mystery of Earth's Oxygenation

by Keith CowingAugust 7, 2018

The oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere was thanks, in part, to iron and silica particles in ancient seawater, according to a new study by geomicrobiologists at the University of Alberta. But […]

Astrogeology, Europa, Press Release, Radiation

Radiation Maps of Jupiter’s Moon Europa: Key to Future Missions

by Keith CowingJuly 23, 2018March 25, 2023

New comprehensive mapping of the radiation pummeling Jupiter’s icy moon Europa reveals where scientists should look — and how deep they’ll have to go — when searching for signs of […]

Astrogeology, Press Release

Mineralogy, Structure and Habitability of Carbon-enriched Rocky Exoplanets: A Laboratory Approach

by Keith CowingJuly 5, 2018

Carbon-enriched rocky exoplanets have been proposed around dwarf stars as well as around binary stars, white dwarfs and pulsars. However, the mineralogical make up of such planets is poorly constrained. […]

Astrogeology, Press Release

THz Spectroscopy Could Help Explain Water's Anomalies

by Keith CowingJune 28, 2018

Liquid water sustains life on earth, but its physical properties remain mysterious among scientific researchers. Recently, a team of Swiss researchers used existing THz spectroscopy techniques to measure liquid water’s […]

Astrogeology, Press Release

Finding Mountains With Molehills: The Detectability of Exotopography

by Keith CowingJanuary 20, 2018

Mountain ranges, volcanoes, trenches, and craters are common on rocky bodies throughout the Solar System, and we might we expect the same for rocky exoplanets. With ever larger telescopes under […]

Astrogeology, Press Release

The Delivery of Water During Terrestrial Planet Formation

by Keith CowingJanuary 18, 2018

The planetary building blocks that formed in the terrestrial planet region were likely very dry, yet water is comparatively abundant on Earth. We review the various mechanisms proposed for the […]

Top: Stereographic polar projections of Titan's topography with the South Pole left and the North Pole right. Bottom: Same as above, but for a global equicylindrical projection. Regions of data used in the interpolation are overplotted in grey. The maximum global relief is on the scale of ~2km, but typical local variations in elevation are more like ~200m - similar to the size of the hills in Ithaca. The topography shows large scale basins, as well as local highs, such as mountains. Understanding Titan's topography can play a role in understanding internal structure, hydrologic processes, and potential influences in Titan's general circulation.

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Titan

New Titan Topographic Map

by Keith CowingJanuary 17, 2018June 13, 2024

Using the now-complete Cassini data set, Cornell University astronomers have created a new global topographic map of Saturn’s moon Titan that has opened new windows into understanding its liquid flows […]

Astrogeology, Press Release

Initiation of Plate Tectonics on Exoplanets with Significant Tidal Stress

by Keith CowingNovember 29, 2017

Plate tectonics is a geophysical process currently unique to Earth, has an important role in regulating the Earth’s climate, and may be better understood by identifying rocky planets outside our […]

Astrogeology, Press Release

Stellar Chemical Clues As To The Rarity of Exoplanetary Tectonics

by Keith CowingJuly 5, 2017

Earth’s tectonic processes regulate the formation of continental crust, control its unique deep water and carbon cycles, and are vital to its surface habitability. A major driver of steady-state plate […]