Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metals, which got their name because they typically occur at low concentrations (between 0.5 and 67 parts per million) […]
Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Mars, Press Release
Solid‒gas Carbonate Formation During Dust Events On Mars
A joint research team led by Dr. Xiaohui Fu and Dr. Zhongchen Wu from Shandong University, China, proposed a new carbonate formation mechanism in Martian dust activities based on simulation […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release
Astrobiology Away Team Training: For The Love Of Martian Soil
For Elizabeth Rampe, a planetary geologist in NASA Johnson Space Center’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) division, science isn’t just a passion—it could very well be in her DNA.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Status Report
Strong Depletion Of 13C in CO Induced By Photolysis Of CO2 In The Martian Atmosphere Calculated By A Photochemical Model
The isotopic signature of atmospheric carbon offers a unique tracer for the history of the Martian atmosphere and the origin of organic matter on Mars.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Mars, Status Report
Thermal Creep On Mars: Visualizing A Soil Layer Under Tension
At low ambient pressure, temperature gradients in porous soil lead to a gas flow, called thermal creep. With this regard, Mars is a unique as the conditions for thermal creep […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report
Sporadic Spin-Orbit Variations in Compact Multi-planet Systems and their Influence on Exoplanet Climate
Climate modeling has shown that tidally influenced terrestrial exoplanets, particularly those orbiting M-dwarfs, have unique atmospheric dynamics and surface conditions that may enhance their likelihood to host viable habitats.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Europa, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Press Release
A Newly Discovered Form Of Salty Ice Could Exist On The Surface Of Icy Moons
The red streaks crisscrossing the surface of Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, are striking. Scientists suspect it is a frozen mixture of water and salts, but its chemical signature is […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Asphalt Volcano Communities
Santa Barbara Channel’s natural oil seeps are a beach-goer’s bane, flecking the shores with blobs of tar.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
New Models Shed Light On Life’s Origin On Earth
The first signs of life emerged on Earth in the form of microbes about four billion years ago. While scientists are still determining exactly when and how these microbes appeared, […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Stability of DL-Glyceraldehyde under Simulated Hydrothermal Conditions: Synthesis of Sugar-like Compounds in an Iron(III)-Oxide-Hydroxide-Rich Environment under Acidic Conditions
Researchers have suggested that the condensation of low-molecular-weight aldehydes under basic conditions (e.g., pH > 11) is the prebiotic reaction responsible for the abiotic formation of carbohydrates.