[astro-ph.EP] With the ability to directly image Earth-like exoplanets and search their atmospheres for biosignatures, the upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will also collect high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) reflected-light photometry […]
Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather
Optical Constants of Photochemical Haze Analogs in N2-CH4-CO Atmospheres from 0.4 to 28.6 μm
[astro-ph.EP] Photochemical hazes play an important role in shaping the spectra and radiative balance of N2-dominated planetary atmospheres.
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
New Study Pinpoints When Early Earth May Have Become Ready for Life’s Chemistry
[PSI] Conditions on the early Earth may have become stable enough to sustain the chemistry associated with the origins of life around 4.33 billion years ago, according to new research […]
Posted inGaia - Planetary Perspectives
Planetary Health Check 2026 Finds Mounting Pressures Across Earth’s Life Support Systems – Reports And Proceedings
[Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)] Seven breached Planetary Boundaries continue to worsen as record ocean heat, droughts, floods, wildfires and extreme heat reveal an Earth system under strain, […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
Prebiotic Peptide Formation Triggered By Urea-rich Warm Little Ponds On Early Earth
[Bioorganic Chemistry]. In the study of the origin of life, the polymerization of amino acids into peptides in water faces significant thermodynamic barriers, often referred to as the “water problem.”
Posted inMars
Thyles Rupes Region Of Mars
[ESA] We’re used to seeing pictures of Mars that are very different in colour to this berry-toned view, featuring tans, ochres, reds and browns – all caused by high levels […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
Do Himalayan-style Mountains Lie Under The Antarctic ice: Implication For The Gondwana Supermountains, The Rise Of Oxygen And The Cambrian Explosion?
[Earth and Planetary Science Letters] Analyses of detrital zircons from Antarctica show that its tectonics were dominated by Himalayan-style mountains, the roots of which now underlie the ice sheet.
Posted inMars
Complex Water Systems Revealed On Early Mars
[NASA] A new study reveals that Jezero Crater’s enigmatic ‘Margin Unit’ was shaped by a complex sequence of ancient lakes, groundwater systems, and hydrothermal fluids.
Posted inCaves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes
An Accidental Impact Crater Discovery
[NASA]. There are roughly 200 confirmed impact structures on Earth, but geologists estimate that hundreds more lurk undiscovered. Now, there’s at least one more—and a large one, at that—in the […]
Posted inCryobiology
Unveiling Microbial Communities And Biogeochemical Cycles In Antarctic Colored Snow
[BMC Microbiology]. Snow cover, the extensive terrestrial habitat in Antarctica, sometimes exhibits vivid coloration, yet the structure and function of its microbial communities remain poorly characterized.