Recent ground- and space-based surveys have shown that planets between Earth and Neptune in size, known as “super-Earths,” are among the most frequently found planets in the Galaxy.
Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Microbial Diversity Discovered In Lake Enigma, Antarctica
Scientists have discovered a thriving microbial ecosystem beneath 14 metres of ice covering Antarctica’s Lake Enigma, a previously thought-to-be entirely frozen lake.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
The Impact of Extended CO2 Cross Sections on Temperate Anoxic Planet Atmospheres
Our interpretation of terrestrial exoplanet atmospheric spectra will always be limited by the accuracy of the data we use as input in our forward and retrieval models.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Sample Return, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Calorimetric Measurement Of Energy And Nutrient Stimulation Of Microorganisms From The Continental Deep Subsurface
Microbial activity in the deep continental subsurface is difficult to measure due to low cell densities, low energy fluxes, cryptic elemental cycles and enigmatic metabolisms. Nonetheless, direct access to rare […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Insight Into How Some Species Thrive In Dark, Oxygen-free Environments
Most life on Earth relies on the sun’s energy for survival, but what about organisms in the deep sea that live beyond the reach of its rays?
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean World Orbital Biosignature Survey: Phytoplankton In Patagonian Waters
Editor’s note: when our first missions – human or robotic – arrive at a new world we’ll want to do glean as much information from space – via fly by […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Missions & Hardware, NASA Astrobiology Program, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
2025 NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy – NASA-DARES – RFI Due Date Extended and Q&A Document Issued
Request for Information (RFI): Development of NASA-DARES 2025: The NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy Amended, Town Hall Questions and Answers, and Due Date Extended
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
The Present Epoch May Not Be Representative In Determining The History Of Water On Mars
Understanding the history of water on Mars is important for understanding both its geological and potential biological history.
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean World Genomics And Diversity: Upper Circumpolar Deep Water Influences
Deep sea microbial communities play a significant role in global biogeochemical processes. However, the depth-wise metabolic potential of microbial communities in hydrothermally influenced Central Indian Ridge (CIR) and Southwest Indian […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean World Cartography: The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean Version 5.0
Knowledge about seafloor depth, or bathymetry, is crucial for various marine activities, including scientific research, offshore industry, safety of navigation, and ocean exploration.