The transition zone between the Earth’s upper and lower mantle contains considerable quantities of water, according to an international study involving the Institute for Geosciences at Goethe University in Frankfurt.
Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Posted inHabitable Zones, Mars, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A Primordial Atmospheric Origin Of Hydrospheric Deuterium Enrichment On Mars
The deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H or 2H/1H) ratio of Martian atmospheric water (~6x standard mean ocean water, SMOW) is higher than that of known sources, requiring planetary enrichment.
Posted inEuropa, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Juno Will Perform A Close Flyby of Europa
As the Juno spacecraft makes a close approach of Europa, it is expected to provide valuable science – and remarkable imagery – for NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
New Evidence For Habitability In Enceladus’ Ocean
The search for extraterrestrial life just got more interesting as a team of scientists including Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Christopher Glein has discovered new evidence for a key building block […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Quantifying The Bioavailable Energy In An Ancient Hydrothermal Vent On Mars And A Modern Earth-based Analogue
Putative alkaline hydrothermal systems on Noachian Mars were potentially habitable environments for microorganisms. However, the types of reactions that could have fueled microbial life in such systems and the amount […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Density, Not Radius, Separates Rocky And Water-rich Small Planets Orbiting M Dwarf Stars
Exoplanets smaller than Neptune are common around red dwarf stars (M dwarfs), with those that transit their host star constituting the bulk of known temperate worlds amenable for atmospheric characterization. […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Water Worlds Are More Common Than We Thought
Water is the one thing all life on Earth needs, and the cycle of rain to river to ocean to rain is an essential part of what keeps our planet’s […]
Posted inRobotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
NSF Ideas Lab Program Solicitation: Engineering Technologies to Advance Underwater Sciences (ETAUS)
Synopsis of Program: An Ideas Lab is an intensive meeting that brings together multiple diverse perspectives to focus on finding innovative cross-disciplinary solutions to a grand challenge problem. The aim […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Robots Race Against climate Change On The Antarctic Seafloor
New Zealand’s Antarctic scientists are racing to document life on the seafloor in the Ross Sea before ecosystems change, possibly forever, as the world warms. Underwater robots have been deployed […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
AwayTeams: Human-occupied Vehicle Alvin Successfully Completes Science Verification
The human-occupied submersible Alvin is ready to return to scientific research at its newly certified maximum depth of 6500 meters (4 miles).