The detection and characterization of Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars is an important goal of exoplanetary research, given their promise for hosting potentially habitable conditions. Key orbital parameters, such as […]
climate
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Carbon Dioxide Has Driven Drastic Changes In Earth’s Global Temperature Over The Past 485 Million years
A new study co-led by the Smithsonian and the University of Arizona offers the most detailed glimpse yet of how Earth’s surface temperature has changed over the past 485 million […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Impact events, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Earth May Have Had A Ring System 466 Million Years Ago
In a discovery that challenges our understanding of Earth’s ancient history, researchers have found evidence suggesting that Earth may have had a ring system, which formed around 466 million years […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Neptune, Status Report, Uranus
Storms and Convection on Uranus and Neptune: Impact of Methane Abundance Revealed by a 3D Cloud-resolving Model
Uranus and Neptune have atmospheres dominated by molecular hydrogen and helium. In the upper troposphere, methane is the third main molecule and condenses, yielding a vertical gradient in CH4. This […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report
Stellar Energetic Particle And Cosmic Ray Effects In Exoplanetary Atmospheres
Energetic particles, in the form of stellar energetic particles and cosmic rays, can lead to disequilibrium chemical effects in exoplanetary atmospheres. In Earth-like atmospheres, energetic particles can drive the formation […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Ganymede, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Astrobiology Mission Update: Juice Confirms That Earth Is Habitable
During its flyby of Earth on 20 August, ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) found ingredients for life in Earth’s atmosphere.
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Tardigrades
Ice World Update: How Earth’s Record Breaking Intense Heat Wave Impacted Life In Antarctica
Summer 2024 is on track to be the hottest on record for hundreds of cities across the U.S. and globe. Even in Antarctica, during the peak of its winter, extreme […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Climate Bistability At The Inner Edge Of The Habitable Zone Due To Runaway Greenhouse And Cloud Feedbacks
Understanding the climate dynamics at the inner edge of the habitable zone (HZ) is crucial for predicting the habitability of rocky exoplanets. Previous studies using Global Climate Models (GCMs) have […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Three-stage Formation of Cap Carbonates after Marinoan Snowball Glaciation Consistent with Depositional Timescales and Geochemistry
At least two global “Snowball Earth” glaciations occurred during the Neoproterozoic Era (1000-538.8 million years ago). Post-glacial surface environments during this time are recorded in cap carbonates: layers of limestone […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Brown Dwarfs, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Global Weather Map Reveals Persistent Top-of-atmosphere Features On The Nearest Brown Dwarfs
Brown dwarfs and planetary-mass companions display rotationally modulated photometric variability, especially those near the L/T transition. This variability is commonly attributed to top-of-atmosphere (TOA) inhomogeneities, with proposed models including patchy […]