[Climate of the Past] It is believed that the atmospheric circulation on Snowball Earth produced a net ablation zone exposing bare sea ice.
cryosphere
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine
Icy Ocean Planet Research: NASA ROSES-25 Amendment 71: New Opportunity A.16 Cryosphere
[NASA]. A.16 Cryosphere solicits high-impact efforts focused on sea ice, ice sheets, and glaciers. The expectation is that proposed investigations will use the wealth of data from NASA satellites and […]
Posted inIcy Worlds
The Role of Disruptive Impacts on Ocean Generation and Longevity in Icy Moons
[Nature Astronomy] Among icy moons of the outer Solar System, subsurface water oceans and large collisions both seem to be common, but the impact of the latter on the presence […]
Posted inMars
Cracks In A Martian Crater’s Ice
[NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA] Many impact craters on Mars were filled with ice in past climates. Sometimes this ice flows or slumps down the crater walls into the center and acquires concentric wrinkles […]
Posted inMars
The Search for Life and Biosignatures on Mars: A Mars System Science Approach (Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Cryosphere, Lithosphere, Geologic History)
[Astrobiology (Journal)] The most important quest in Mars exploration is the search for biosignatures. We adopt a Mars System Science approach, calling on information from the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, […]
Posted inMars
Water Ice Inside A Martian Crater
[ESA] Like a sprinkle of powdered sugar on a rich red velvet cake, this scene from the ESA/Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter captures the contrasting colours of bright white water-ice […]
Posted inIcy Worlds
Dynamic Controls On Subsurface Water Chemistry And Habitability On Icy Moons
Icy moons are natural satellites whose surfaces contain a substantial fraction of frozen materials, most notably water ice.
Posted inNews Summary Archives, Status Report
Hot life in Antarctica: A Novel Metabolically Versatile Pyrodictiaceae Genus Thriving At A Volcanic–cryosphere–marine Interface
Deception Island fumaroles in Antarctica represent rare environments where extreme heat intersects with cryospheric and marine conditions, creating remarkable environmental gradients.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Status Report
Tidal Rock Grinding As A Source Of H2 On Enceladus
The Solar System hosts multiple potentially habitable environments, including the subsurface ocean beneath the icy crust of Saturn’s moon Enceladus.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ice Planet Recon: Giant Fan-shaped Geological Structure Discovered Beneath East Antarctica
Editor’s note: there are currently two advanced missions heading for the jovian system – Europa Clipper and ESA Juice – to study icy Europa and the other icy worlds orbiting […]