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 […]
Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Sample Return
Salty Antarctic Pond Could Provide Clues About Mars’ Water
A shallow, briny pond located in what is often considered one of the most Mars-like regions on Earth is probably being fed by groundwater seeping up, rather than moisture seeping […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release
Limited Phosphorus Recycling Can Suppress a Planet’s Biosphere
The amount of biomass — life — in Earth’s ancient oceans may have been limited due to low recycling of the key nutrient phosphorus, according to new research by the […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Press Release
When Water Met Iron Deep Inside the Earth
Reservoirs of oxygen-rich iron between the Earth’s core and mantle could have played a major role in Earth’s history, including the breakup of supercontinents, drastic changes in Earth’s atmospheric makeup, […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Press Release
4.4 billion Years Ago Earth was Barren, Flat and Almost Entirely Under Water
ANU scientists say the early Earth was likely to be barren, mountainless and almost entirely under water with a few small islands, following their analysis of tiny mineral grains as […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Volcanic Hydrogen Spurs Chances of Finding Exoplanet Life
Hunting for habitable exoplanets now may be easier: Cornell University astronomers report that hydrogen pouring from volcanic sources on planets throughout the universe could improve the chances of locating life […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Press Release
Earth Life Can Be Designed To Make Silicon-Carbon Bonds
A new study is the first to show that living organisms can be persuaded to make silicon-carbon bonds–something only chemists had done before. Scientists at Caltech “bred” a bacterial protein […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Europa’s Ocean May Have An Earthlike Chemical Balance
A new NASA study modeling conditions in the ocean of Jupiter’s moon Europa suggests that the necessary balance of chemical energy for life could exist there, even if the moon […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Hydrothermal Systems Show Spectrum of Extreme Life on Earth
The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. Hydrothermal system at the Danakil Depression. The yellow deposits are a variety of sulphates and the […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release
The Case for a Dynamical Subsurface Ecosystem
The introduction and concentration of electron donors and acceptors in the subsurface biosphere is controlled by the mixing of subsurface fluids, but the mechanisms and rates at which microbial communities […]