arctic Archives

Schematic deposit model showing formation of hydrothermal Fe- and Mn-oxide deposits at depth along faults during the Neogene (∼8.5–4.8 Ma) from ascending hydrothermal fluids driven by frictional heating and other fault-related processes; the deposits may have experienced minor uplift along faults during the Neogene and Quaternary, and variably exposed as seafloor outcrops predominantly by sediment slumping, rock falls, and other gravity-driven processes. Hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts formed at the seabed on all rock outcrops predominantly from dissolved and colloidal phases in ambient bottom seawater characterized by elements such as Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, REY, Sc, and others; the Fe-Mn crusts and sediments also acquired minor contributions from distal hydrothermal fluids characterized by Hg, As, and others, mostly volatile elements, which were incorporated into the crusts by sorption process on the framework Fe and Mn oxides and in the sediments by organic matter and Fe and Mn oxides—these low-temperature fluids have continued through the Quaternary. It is unknown whether the deep-seated hydrothermal deposits continued to form post-Neogene, which could be determined by additional dating. The base map cross-section is from Nikishin et al. (2021). larger image. -- USGS

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return

Marine Mineral Formations in the Arctic Ocean Challenge Existing Geologic Theories

by Keith CowingNovember 13, 2024November 13, 2024

A new study from USGS describes a previously unknown process of marine mineral formation in the Arctic Ocean, driven by frictional heating along tectonic faults rather than by hydrothermal activity.

The results were striking. Despite temperatures below the freezing point, low oxygen levels and the absence of light, the ice cap was host to active chemolithoautotrophic bacteria. -- iC3 Polar Research Hub

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Icy Discovery In Svalbard Reveals A Vibrant World Of Life Waiting To Be Discovered

by Keith CowingOctober 25, 2024October 25, 2024

A new study led by a PhD candidate affiliated with the iC3 Polar Research Hub reveals how life can adapt and flourish even in the harshest conditions – and sheds […]

ID: ESP_042572_2640 date: 26 August 2015 altitude: 318 km Larger image -- NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report

Orbital View Of A Polar Avalanche On Mars

by Keith CowingOctober 20, 2024

This scarp at the edge of the North Polar layered deposits of Mars is the site of the most frequent frost avalanches seen by HiRISE.

Kristen Bennett setting up a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (ground-based LiDAR) to acquire detailed topographic information for a complex esker system. The Breiðamerkurjökull glacier is visible in the background. -- USGS

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors

USGS Away Team: A Martian Landscape Right At Home

by Keith CowingOctober 18, 2024October 18, 2024

Sitting in the middle of a vast landscape, bordered by a ridge and filled with loose rocks, Lauren Edgar held a hand lens to her eye as she peered at […]

The long, thin snow dunes that cover much of Antarctica are easier to see from above than on the ground. They form in the direction of the wind. -- ESA Larger image

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release

Iceworld Update: Hidden Snow Dunes In Antarctica

by Keith CowingOctober 2, 2024October 2, 2024

Sand dunes are a familiar sight along beaches and in deserts. While we know how regular sand dunes are formed, much less is known about dunes made of snow. In […]

This image, taken from a data visualization, shows Arctic sea ice minimum extent on September 11, 2024. The yellow boundary shows the minimum extent averaged over the 30-year period from 1981 to 2010. Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio: hhttps://svsdev.gsfc.nasa.gov/5382 NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio/Trent L. Schindler

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Europa, Ganymede, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ice Planet Update: Arctic Sea Ice Near Historic Low – Antarctic Ice Continues Decline

by Keith CowingSeptember 25, 2024September 25, 2024

Editor’s note: we live on a world that is mostly an ocean world, part Icy world, part desert world etc. Other worlds in our solar system exhibit both similar and […]

Graphical abstract -- Geochemical Perspectives Letters

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Status Report

Molecular Biosignatures In Planetary Analogue Salts: Implications for Transport of Organics in Sulfate-rich Brines Beyond Earth

by Keith CowingSeptember 11, 2024September 11, 2024

Salts formed during evaporation or freezing of brines can potentially incorporate organic matter that can inform about past biological activity. We analysed the lipid fraction preserved within the contemporary Lost […]

The Controlled Environment Facility at BAS will investigate how polar ecosystems adapt, including invertebrates such as sea sponges. -- BAS

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Cryobiology, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Iceworld Update: New Project To Unlock Earth Life’s Secrets In Extreme Cold

by Keith CowingSeptember 9, 2024

Cambridge researchers are set to explore the uncharted depths of life in the extreme cold, with findings that could reshape our understanding of biology and pave the way for future […]

A remote camera captured an IceNode prototype deployed below the frozen surface of Lake Superior, off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, during a field test in 2022. The three thin legs of the robot’s “landing gear” affix the prototype to the icy ceiling. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Iceworld Exploration: Underwater Droids Venture Deep Below Polar Ice

by Keith CowingAugust 30, 2024August 29, 2024

Called IceNode, the project envisions a fleet of autonomous robots that would help determine the melt rate of ice shelves.

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release

Astrobiology Away Team: NASA ORCAA Field Work In Alaska

by Keith CowingAugust 13, 2024August 13, 2024

A group of researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and other institutions spent two weeks on a glacier in Alaska in July 2023 for a project called ORCAA (Ocean Worlds […]

arctic

Marine Mineral Formations in the Arctic Ocean Challenge Existing Geologic Theories

Icy Discovery In Svalbard Reveals A Vibrant World Of Life Waiting To Be Discovered

Orbital View Of A Polar Avalanche On Mars

USGS Away Team: A Martian Landscape Right At Home

Iceworld Update: Hidden Snow Dunes In Antarctica

Ice Planet Update: Arctic Sea Ice Near Historic Low – Antarctic Ice Continues Decline

Molecular Biosignatures In Planetary Analogue Salts: Implications for Transport of Organics in Sulfate-rich Brines Beyond Earth

Iceworld Update: New Project To Unlock Earth Life’s Secrets In Extreme Cold

Iceworld Exploration: Underwater Droids Venture Deep Below Polar Ice

Astrobiology Away Team: NASA ORCAA Field Work In Alaska

Giving NASA’s SciX A Quick Astrobiology Roadtest

An Ultraviolet Instrument On The Habitable Worlds Observatory: Considerations and Capability Trades On The Multi-Object, Integral-field, and High-resolution Modes Of A Potential UVI

The Hydrological Cycle and Circulation of Tidally-Locked Planets with A Finite Moisture Inventory

Fermentation Heterotrophy Can Reproduce Enceladus’s H2 And CH4 Under Limited Serpentinization

Perseverance Mars Rover Sets Off-World Record for Total Distance Driven