We explore ion escape from, and solar ion deposition to, an unmagnetized Earth-like planet. We use RHybrid, an ion-kinetic electron-fluid code to simulate the global plasma interaction of unmagnetized Earth […]
Earth
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Life Support Systems, Mars, Moon, Status Report
Lava Tubes On Earth, the Moon, And Mars: Detection, Evolution, And Exploration Potential
Lava tubes, or subsurface conduits formed by volcanic activity, have emerged as critical geological features for understanding planetary evolution and for supporting future human space exploration.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Water Planet: More Polar Ocean Turbulence Due To Planetary Warming
A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change by an international team of scientists, from the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) at Pusan National University in South Korea, […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia Mission, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Response Of Atmospheric Convection To Surface Drying: New Insights From Isentropic Analysis
There is strong evidence that the atmospheric moisture content of several solar system planets, including Earth, has varied over their lifetimes.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Extinction events, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Status Report
Planetary Impacts: Friend Or Foe?
Planetary impact events have profoundly influenced the origin of life and the habitability of Earth in both constructive and destructive ways.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
The Oxygen Valve on Hydrogen Escape Since the Great Oxidation Event
The Great Oxidation Event (GOE) was a 200 Myr transition circa 2.4 billion years ago that converted the Earth’s anoxic atmosphere to one where molecular oxygen (O2) was abundant (volume […]
![a) Mn/Na vs. Mn/Mg and b) Mn/Na vs. K/Li ratios among planetary bodies. The coloured curves denote the evolution of the composition of an evaporation residue calculated using eq. 35 at 1100 K (purple), 1500 K (blue), 2000 K (green) and 2500 K (red) at a fixed relative oxygen fugacity (∆IW-1, except for 1100 K, which was calculated at ∆IW-6, see text), with numbers denoting the fraction of Mn loss undergone by the body. The black dashed lines connect equal degrees of Mn loss at different temperatures. The solid black curves trace a binary mixture of a volatile-depleted end-member with 90 % Mn loss and a CI-like end-member. The small numbers denote the mass fraction of CI in the mixture. On a), only the volatile-depleted end-member at 1500 K is shown due to clarity, whereas in b) the end-members are taken at the three temperatures, and the dotted grey lines connect equal fractions of CI material. The grey point gives the composition of the Earth assuming 50 % of its Mn budget resides in the core [see Siebert et al., 2018]. The grey field denotes the compositional range of chondrites [Wasson and Kallemeyn, 1988; Siebert et al., 2018]. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Physicochemical-Controls-On-The.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Physicochemical Controls On The Compositions Of The Earth And Planets
Despite the fact that the terrestrial planets formed from the protoplanetary disk, their compositions show marked departures from that of solar nebula condensates.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Press Release
A New Study Reveals How Oxygen First Reached Earth’s Oceans
For roughly two billion years of Earth’s early history, the atmosphere contained no oxygen, the essential ingredient required for complex life. Oxygen began building up during the period known as […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report
The Dependence of Earth Milankovitch Cycles on Martian Mass
The Milankovitch cycles of Earth result from gravitational interactions with other bodies in the Solar System.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Study Suggests Ancient Earth Skies Rained Down The Ingredients For Life
Earth’s atmosphere might have contributed to the origin of life more than previously thought.