Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds Archives

Schematic showing a possible mechanism of hydrocarbon formation in subsurface rocks from H2O and carbon compounds based on geothermal energy. When H2O is adsorbed on a solid acid in natural rock, it forms a doubly bonded cyclic metastable structure by sharing a coordinate bond and a hydrogen bond. As the number of free electrons in the conduction band increases with increasing temperature, free electrons in the solid acid can move to H2O through the hydrogen bond. In return, surplus electrons in H2O can quickly move back to the solid acid through the coordinate bond to maintain neutral conditions. This electron exchange results in H2O dissociation and the formation of H and OH radicals. H radicals react with carbon compounds to form various unstable hydrocarbon species (CH, CH2) and CH3 radicals when CO2 is added and reduced to carbon or activated carbon. On the other hand, when organic hydrocarbons (biomass) are added and dissociated by H radicals, other products such as C3H7, C2H5, and CH3 radicals can be formed. Finally, H2 and diverse hydrocarbons can be produced through reactions among H radicals, hydrocarbon radicals, and unstable hydrocarbon species. OH radicals are likely consumed during the oxidation of rock constituents, such as Fe2+ and C. Unsaturated hydrocarbons can further react with H radicals or H2 to become saturated and are gradually converted to CH4 through H radical-induced C‒C bond breaking in rock, as observed in natural oil and gas. -- Science Reports via PubMed

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Production Of Abiotic Or Biogenic Hydrocarbons On Rock Particles In The Presence Of H2O And Carbon Compounds

by Keith CowingMarch 5, 2025March 5, 2025

Abiotic H2 and hydrocarbons are found in fluids discharged from ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal vents. Beneath the hydrothermal vents, abiotic H2 and hydrocarbons can be formed by serpentinization reactions and Fischer–Tropsch-type hydrocarbon-forming […]

An example of stromatolites investigated in the study found in the Cheshire Formation of the Belingwe greenstone belt, Zimbabwe. Photo credit: Professor Axel Hofmann

Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Impact Of Volcanic Activity On Early Marine Life

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2025

Analysis of fossilised rocks known as stromatolites from more than two-and-a-half billion years ago has provided new insights into the conditions on Earth before the evolution of oxygen.

The crew of the Enterprise vies a map of the Sigma Draconis system and its three Class M planets - "Spock's Brain" - Paramount/CBS.

Astronomy & Telescopes, Brown Dwarfs, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Science Fiction, Status Report, Stellar Cartography, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Architecture Classification For Extrasolar Planetary Systems

by Keith CowingFebruary 22, 2025February 22, 2025

This paper presents a classification framework for the architectures of planetary systems based on a complete survey of the confirmed exoplanet population.

C. merolae as seen through a microscope. -- Credit: Anne Steensma

Analog Studies, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release

Photosynthetic Insights From Volcanic Hot Springs

by Keith CowingFebruary 7, 2025February 7, 2025

Italy’s Phlegraean Fields is a hotspot of volcanic activity — an ever-shifting landscape pocketed with acidic hot springs. This huge caldera is a part of the Campanian volcanic arc, which […]

SO2 mixing ratio at 70 km in the atmosphere of Venus as a function of latitude (Marcq et al. 2020). The red line represents a median value; the red bars show one statistical dispersion. The color pattern depicts % of observations. The data were obtained from the Venus Express SPICAV-UV observations (Table 16.1) -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Venus

Sulfur on Venus: Atmospheric, Surface, and Interior Processes

by Keith CowingFebruary 5, 2025February 5, 2025

Sulfur-bearing species play critical roles in atmospheric physical-chemical processes, atmosphere-surface interactions, and the geological evolution of Venus. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of(1) Instrumental data on the abundance and […]

High-resolution seismic image of the subsurface beneath seafloor craters (A) Seismic line crossing the field of craters in a SW-NE direction as shown Fig. 2E. Circle insets show details of the reflective polarity of the main bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) identified at regional scale in the study area. BSR-1 is characterized by a reverse polarity with respect to the seafloor polarity whereas BSR-2 has the same polarity as the seafloor. Both are breached and collapsed by fluid escape pipes beneath the crater fields A and B. (B) Detail of subsurface beneath the craters showing a fluid escape pipe breaching the two BSRs. HAR: High Amplitude Reflector within the pipes. -- Science Reports via PubMed

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Giant Pit Craters On The Seafloor Above Magma-induced Hydrothermal Vent Complexes

by Keith CowingFebruary 3, 2025February 2, 2025

Massive injection of 13C depleted carbon to the ocean and atmosphere coincided with major environmental upheaval multiple times in the geological record. For several events, the source of carbon has […]

DLR's SCOUT Rover is designed to explore the complex terrain of lava tubes. © Roy Lichtenheldt, DLR

Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors

Away Team Tech: Testing Rovers In Lava Tubes For Future Space Exploration

by Keith CowingFebruary 1, 2025

What does an ancient lava tube in the Canary Islands have in common with space exploration? For our robotics teams, it turns out, quite a lot.

A massive hotspot — larger the Earth’s Lake Superior — can be seen just to the right of Io’s south pole in this annotated image taken by the JIRAM infrared imager aboard NASA’s Juno on Dec. 27, 2024, during the spacecraft’s flyby of the Jovian moon. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/ASI/INAF/JIRAM

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Io, Jupiter, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Press Release

Juno Spots The Most Powerful Volcanic Activity On Io To Date

by Keith CowingJanuary 29, 2025January 29, 2025

Even by the standards of Io, the most volcanic celestial body in the solar system, recent events observed on the Jovian moon are extreme.

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

The Punctuated Evolution of the Venusian Atmosphere From a Transition in Mantle Convective Style and Volcanic Outgassing

by Keith CowingJanuary 22, 2025January 22, 2025

A key question in the planetary sciences centers on the divergence between the sibling planets, Venus and Earth. Venus currently does not operate with plate tectonics, and its thick atmosphere […]

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ignan Earths: Habitability of Terrestrial Planets With Extreme Internal Heating

by Keith CowingJanuary 10, 2025

Is it possible for a rocky planet to have too much internal heating to maintain a habitable surface environment? In the Solar System, the best example of a world with […]

Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds

Production Of Abiotic Or Biogenic Hydrocarbons On Rock Particles In The Presence Of H2O And Carbon Compounds

Impact Of Volcanic Activity On Early Marine Life

Architecture Classification For Extrasolar Planetary Systems

Photosynthetic Insights From Volcanic Hot Springs

Sulfur on Venus: Atmospheric, Surface, and Interior Processes

Giant Pit Craters On The Seafloor Above Magma-induced Hydrothermal Vent Complexes

Away Team Tech: Testing Rovers In Lava Tubes For Future Space Exploration

Juno Spots The Most Powerful Volcanic Activity On Io To Date

The Punctuated Evolution of the Venusian Atmosphere From a Transition in Mantle Convective Style and Volcanic Outgassing

Ignan Earths: Habitability of Terrestrial Planets With Extreme Internal Heating

Tricorder Tech: New Handheld Device Maps Chemical Composition Using Infrared Light

No Statistically Significant Evidence For A Correlation Between Stellar And planetary Composition

Water Planet Recon: How Accurately Can We Measure Earth Ocean’s Deepest Point?

Webb Reveals A Stunning Panorama Of Star Formation

Deep Learning of SHERLOC Raman Spectra For Facilitating Mars Astromaterial Identification