biogeochemical Archives

Maximum Likelihood unrooted phylogenies (model selected in IQ-TREE by Modelfinder) of the new 572 bacterial genomes reconstructed from the Laguna Lejía terrace. Phylogenies were constructed using a concatenation of 30 ribosomal proteins. In brackets, the number of MAGs at the phylum level -- via PubMed

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Status Report

Hyperexpansion of Genetic Diversity and Metabolic Capacity of Extremophilic Bacteria and Archaea in Ancient Andean Lake Sediments

by Keith CowingOctober 4, 2024October 6, 2024

The Andean Altiplano hosts a repertoire of high-altitude lakes with harsh conditions for life. These lakes are undergoing a process of desiccation caused by the current climate, leaving terraces exposed […]

The skies above the Amazon are almost always churning with clouds and storms, making the basin one of the most difficult places for scientists to map and monitor. The astronaut photograph above—taken while the International Space Station was over the Brazilian state of Tocantins—captures a common scene from the wet season. Vast pillars of moisture rise via convection and then spread outward into anvil clouds as they collide with the stratosphere. larger image -- NASA

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Substantial Extension of the Lifetime of the Terrestrial Biosphere

by Keith CowingSeptember 18, 2024September 18, 2024

Approximately one billion years (Gyr) in the future, as the Sun brightens, Earth’s carbonate-silicate cycle is expected to drive CO2 below the minimum level required by vascular land plants, eliminating […]

Hadean Earth - credit: Alec Brenner via Harvard University

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Estimates of Nitrogen Fixation on Early Earth

by Keith CowingSeptember 17, 2024September 17, 2024

Fixed nitrogen species generated by the early Earth’s atmosphere are thought to be critical to the emergence of life and the sustenance of early metabolisms.

The schematic figure of the vertical structure of the sub-Neptune model presented in this study. The black line within the atmosphere layer illustrates the assumed temperature-pressure relationship in our model. Chemical species involved in internal reactions are written in red within each structural layer. The RCB stands for the Radiative-Convective Boundary, while the BOA denotes the Bottom of the Atmosphere -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report

Role of Magma Oceans in Controlling Carbon and Oxygen of Sub-Neptune atmospheres

by Keith CowingSeptember 3, 2024September 3, 2024

Most exoplanets with a few Earth radii are more inflated than bare-rock planets with the same mass, indicating a substantial volatile amount. Neither the origin of the volatiles nor the […]

One exposed outcrop of the formation, found on Scottish islands called the Garvellachs, is unique as it shows the transition into “snowball Earth” from a previously warm, tropical environment.

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Scottish And Irish Rocks Confirmed As Being A Rare Record Of Snowball Earth

by Keith CowingAugust 17, 2024August 17, 2024

The study, published in the Journal of the Geological Society of London, found that the Port Askaig Formation, composed of layers of rock up to 1.1km thick, was likely laid […]

The basic body plans of all modern animals were set during the Cambrian Period, 542 - 488 million years ago. -- Smithsonian

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Seawater Barium and Sulfide Removal Improved Marine Habitability for the Cambrian Explosion of Early Animals

by Keith CowingAugust 12, 2024August 12, 2024

This study is led by Dr. Wei Wei, PhD student Lin-Hui Dong, and Prof. Fang Huang at the University of Science and Technology of China. Excess barium contents (Baexcess) and […]

A Schematic for viral participations in key MMP steps via encoding seven AMGs that exclusively participate in MMP. Viruses encoded seven AMGs (fwdF, fae, frhB, cofE, cofF, mtrA, and pmoC; as colored in purple text) to impact the key steps in both methane production and oxidation. The methanogenesis pathway from CO2 to methane is indicated by orange arrows. More information for 17 additional AMGs that could potentially participate in both MMP and other types of metabolism pathways is provided in Supplementary Figs. S1, S2, and Data 5. -- Nature Communications

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release

Microbial Viruses Act As Secret Drivers Of Planetary Climate Change

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2024March 3, 2024

In a new study, scientists have discovered that viruses that infect microbes contribute to climate change by playing a key role in cycling methane, a potent greenhouse gas, through the […]

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Habitable Zones, Mars, Status Report

Constraints On The Size and Composition Of The Ancient Martian Atmosphere From Coupled CO2-N2-Ar Isotopic Evolution Models

by Keith CowingFebruary 8, 2023February 8, 2023

Present-day Mars is cold and dry, but mineralogical and morphological evidence shows that liquid-water existed on the surface of ancient Mars.

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release

Oxygen Controls On Magmatism In Rocky Exoplanets

by Keith CowingOctober 12, 2022October 12, 2022

Refractory oxygen bound to cations is a key component of the interior of rocky exoplanets. Its abundance controls planetary properties including metallic core fraction, core composition, and mantle and crust […]

biogeochemical

Hyperexpansion of Genetic Diversity and Metabolic Capacity of Extremophilic Bacteria and Archaea in Ancient Andean Lake Sediments

Substantial Extension of the Lifetime of the Terrestrial Biosphere

New Estimates of Nitrogen Fixation on Early Earth

Role of Magma Oceans in Controlling Carbon and Oxygen of Sub-Neptune atmospheres

Scottish And Irish Rocks Confirmed As Being A Rare Record Of Snowball Earth

Seawater Barium and Sulfide Removal Improved Marine Habitability for the Cambrian Explosion of Early Animals

Microbial Viruses Act As Secret Drivers Of Planetary Climate Change

Constraints On The Size and Composition Of The Ancient Martian Atmosphere From Coupled CO2-N2-Ar Isotopic Evolution Models

Oxygen Controls On Magmatism In Rocky Exoplanets

Early-career Graduate Students Host An Exclusive, NASA-funded Astrobiology Conference

Intimate Link Between Prebiotic Chemistry And Meteorites: Mechanisms Of Organic Molecule Formation

Microbial Mats Influence The Isotopic Composition And Provenance of Soil Organic Matter In The McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

Beyond The Prebiotic Soup: Solid Organic Films And Protocell-Like Formation in Prebiotic Discharge Experiments

From Searching For Extraterrestrial Biosignatures To Exploring The Origins Of Life: A Prebiotic Chemistry Perspective