Electromagnetic (EM) sounding can constrain the electrical structure of Enceladus and, in turn, the salinity of its ocean and the porosity, fluid content, and thermal state of its hydrothermally active […]
Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Plant Biology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Orbital Biosignature Assay: Phytoplankton Bloom Off The U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coast
Editor’s note: As we begin to study worlds in our own solar system that might have life we use our home world as a testbed for the various ways to […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
HAT-P-70b Through The Eyes of MAROON-X: Constraining Elemental Abundances of Metals and Insights on Atmosphere Dynamics
Ultra-hot Jupiters (UHJs) are exceptional laboratories for studying planetary atmospheres under extreme irradiation conditions.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Phosphorus Spikes In Ancient Oceans Linked To Major Mass Extinctions
An international collaboration involving researchers from the University of Western Australia, the University of Ottawa and several partner institutions specializing in geosciences has identified direct geological evidence linking sharp spikes […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Exploring TRAPPIST-1 Climate States With An Energy Balance Model
This paper presents a version of the HEXTOR energy balance model that has been configured for the study of habitable terrestrial planets orbiting low-mass stars. The model is validated for […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Extinction events, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
A New Explanation For Snowball Earth
A new study by Earth scientists in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) offers an explanation for one of Earth’s great climate puzzles: how […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Jupiter, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Motional Induction in Ganymede’s Ocean
We investigate the magnetic signature of oceanic circulation in Ganymede’s subsurface ocean using kinematic induction modeling. Our approach couples zonal jet flows from rotating thermal convection simulations with magnetic field […]
![Blue bars indicate the total number of whole-genome duplications (WGDs) identified in each plant family, including WGDs in a family’s most recent common ancestor (MRCA) and in its descendant lineages. Numbers in parentheses specifically indicate the number of WGDs in the MRCA lineage of families, shared by all species thereof. For instance, five WGDs were identified in Brassicaceae, one of which is present in the MRCA of the clade (i.e., “5[1]”). Blue lines in nodes of the tree indicate 95% highest posterior density (HPD) intervals for estimated divergence times. Shaded gray bars in the tree indicate families that belong to the same order. Orders with two or more families are labeled. Colored horizontal bars at the bottom of the tree indicate geological periods. Tr, Triassic; J, Jurassic; K, Cretaceous; Pg, Paleogene; and Ng, Neogene -- Cell Press](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Plants-Survived-1.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extinction events, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Impact events, Plant Biology, Press Release
Plants Survived The Dinosaur-killing Asteroid By Duplicating Genomes
When an asteroid as big as Mount Everest struck Earth 66 million years ago, it wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs and roughly a third of life on the planet. But many […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mars, Status Report
Defined Mars Media (DMM), A Chemically Defined Simulant Of The Soluble Macro- and Micro- Nutrients In Mars Regolith For Use In Biological Research
Mars’ relatively moderate surface conditions, availability of solar energy, and in situ resources like water ice, carbon dioxide, and mineral-rich regolith make it a compelling target for supporting life beyond […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Tricks of Nature From the Ancient Earth and Early Mars: Chemical Gardens Generate Biomorphs With High Preservation Potential
Observations of morphology are commonly used to evaluate the biogenicity of terrestrial microfossils and could constitute a crucial line of evidence for extraterrestrial life‐detection missions in the future.