55 Cancri e is a ∼8 Gyr rocky world (1.95 R⊕, 8.8 M⊕) orbiting a K-type star. JWST observations suggest a carbon-dominated atmosphere (CO2/CO) over a global magma ocean (>3000 […]
Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report
Magma Ocean Waves And Thermal Variability On Lava Worlds
Lava worlds are rocky planets with dayside skins made molten by stellar irradiation. Tidal heating on these shortest-period planets is more than skin deep.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Press Release, Radiation
Hidden Magma Oceans Could Shield Rocky Exoplanets From Harmful Radiation
Deep beneath the surface of distant exoplanets known as super-earths, oceans of molten rock may be doing something extraordinary: powering magnetic fields strong enough to shield entire planets from dangerous […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release
Cosmogenic Krypton Enables Reconstruction Of Landscapes Millions Of Years Old
An international research team involving the University of Cologne has found a new way to reconstruct how landscapes developed tens of millions of years ago and how long sediments remained […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Commercial & Private Sector, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, NASA Astrobiology Program, Origin & Evolution of Life, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Science Fiction, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Searching For Extraterrestrial Life Advances Terrestrial Sustainability
Astrobiology, while traditionally focused on understanding the origin of life on Earth and the potential for life elsewhere, offers powerful tools and insights for addressing urgent challenges on our planet.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report, Venus
Vertically Resolved Minimal-set k-distribution For Thermal Infrared Absorption In The Venus Atmosphere
The FKDM k-distribution technique is applied to parameterize absorption of thermal radiation in the lower and middle atmosphere of Venus, targeting modeling scenarios where the cost of full radiative transfer […]
![[RIGHT Io [LEFT] Europa -- NASA JPL source](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/On-The-Divergent-Evolution-of.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Io, Jupiter, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
On The Divergent Evolution Of Io And Europa As Primordial Ocean Worlds
Galilean moons exhibit a decrease in bulk density with distance from Jupiter, which may reflect differences in evolutionary paths and water loss.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extinction events, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Life On Lava: How Microbes Colonize New Habitats
Life has a way of bouncing back, even after catastrophic events like forest fires or volcanic eruptions. While nature’s resilience to natural disasters has long been recognized, not much is […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Water Versus Land On Temperate Rocky Planets
Water and land surfaces on a planet interact with gases in the atmosphere and with radiation from the star. These interactions define the environments that prevail on the planet, some […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report
Three eruptions At The Fagradalsfjall Volcano In Iceland Show Rapid And Predictable Microbial Community Establishment
How natural environments transition from uninhabited to inhabited is an incompletely understood question in ecology.