Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds Archives

Models for Neptune and Uranus derived in this study expressed as density versus radius. Contour colors show density. Key elements of the models are labelled. The bright narrow band at the base of the envelope in each case is the boundary region stable against convection, ∼ 120 km and ∼ 180 km wide in the cases of Neptune and Uranus, respectively. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Neptune, Status Report, Uranus, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ice Giants Revisited: Uranus And Neptune As Magma Ocean Worlds

by Keith CowingJune 18, 2026June 18, 2026

Uranus and Neptune are commonly interpreted as volatile-rich “ice giants”, an assumption that underpins most interior models.

Schematic diagram of the domain (not to scale). The red line represents the outer boundary of the core; the blue line is the outer boundary of the BMO. (a) 𝑥–𝑧 (meridional) plane. The 𝑧 axis is Earth’s rotation axis and normal to the orbital plane. (b) 𝑥–𝑦 (orbital and equatorial) plane. The blue BMO ellipse always has its long axis aligned with the Moon, but the long axis of the red CMB ellipse can have a non-zero phase lag 𝛥𝜙 relative to the Moon. Throughout the main text, we assume that the solid mantle is static, in which case the BMO outer boundary is undeformed; we consider its deformation in appendix D. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Moon, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Resonant Lunar Tides Of Earth’s Core And Basal Magma Ocean

by Keith CowingJune 16, 2026June 16, 2026

Earth’s magnetic field is generated by fluid motion in the liquid-metal core and has been active for billions of year.

Hydrothermal spring on early Earth -- Grok via Astrobiology.com

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Astrobiology Special Collection Explores Emerging Scientific Evidence For Land-based Origins Of Life

by Keith CowingMay 19, 2026May 19, 2026

The scientific study of life’s origins is undergoing a major transition, from a decades-long focus on deep-sea hydrothermal vents toward increasing investigation of hot springs and other chemically dynamic environments […]

Schematics of the MELTYQ coupled magma-atmosphere retrieval. The model is valid for sub-Neptune hosting a thick H2-rich atmosphere with enough surface temperature to melt rocks. The model splits the planet in three regions: a rocky core, a deep atmosphere, and an upper atmosphere. The chemistry is coupled allowing to retrieve the composition of the rocky magma via it’s influence on the observable atmosphere. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report

Coupling Magma-ocean And Atmospheres In Spectral Retrievals Of Sub-Neptunes

by Keith CowingMay 14, 2026May 14, 2026

Recent high-precision atmospheric observations with JWST is enabling detailed characterization of sub-Neptune atmospheres and motivating efforts to understand and constrain their interiors.

Interior pressure profiles as a function of depth for rocky bodies with varying surface gravities.

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mars, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1, Venus

Modeling Volcanic Plume Heights Across Exoplanet Atmospheres: Insights from TRAPPIST-1

by Keith CowingMay 8, 2026May 8, 2026

Explosive volcanic eruptions play a fundamental role in the evolution and observability of rocky exoplanets, serving as a key mechanism for injecting volatiles into planetary atmospheres and potentially modifying their […]

IMAGE - modified image of Mercury using Grok via Astrobiology.com

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release

JWST Studies The Surface Composition Of Super-Earth LHS 3844 b

by Keith CowingMay 5, 2026May 5, 2026

Using MIRI (Mid Infrared Instrument) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team of researchers led by former MPIA (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany) PhD student […]

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Desert Worlds, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report

Astrobiological Implications of Lava Flows Superposed on Martian Glaciers

by Keith CowingMay 4, 2026May 4, 2026

Volcanic eruptions and glacial ice have occurred at virtually all latitudes and altitudes throughout Mars history.

The night-side surface temperatures for different minimum eccentricities for K2-141b, at its present day orbit.

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report

Coupled Orbital And Interior Structure Evolution Of Lava Planets

by Keith CowingApril 24, 2026April 24, 2026

Lava planets likely did not form in their current orbits, instead migrating inward via orbital decay, which influenced the evolution of their magma oceans.

Schematic of ground-based transit photometry observations of TOI–1752 system. The orbital phase coverage of TOI–1752.01 is shown in the top panel (nights of Mar 04, 2020, Apr 26, 2021, Apr 27, 2021, Jun 19, 2021, Sep 08, 2020, and Apr 21, 2024) and that of TOI–1752.02 in the bottom panel (nights of Feb 26, 2025, Jun 04, 2024, Mar 30, 2025, and Jul 06, 2025). The instrument/telescope used for the observation and the in-transit coverage percentage are shown in grey. The inclination 𝑖 is taken into account. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Press Release

A Gem System With A Lava World And A Habitable Zone Sub-Neptune Orbiting TOI-1752

by Keith CowingApril 21, 2026April 21, 2026

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has delivered a large number of transiting planet candidates around nearby stars by identifying periodic decreases in stellar brightness. A top-down view of the […]

NASA scientist Mary Beth Wilhelm collects soil samples from Chile's Atacama Desert. Studying ancient life in the driest places on Earth helps us to understand conditions on Mars. -- NASA

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Sample Return, Status Report

Community Survey: Field-Based Studies And Sample Processing Facility

by Keith CowingApril 20, 2026April 20, 2026

Scientists at Northern Arizona University are conducting a research study gathering views from members of the planetary science community on field-based studies and the interest in a potential centralized facility […]