[NASA] Scarps such as this have either active mass wasting (landslides) or the potential for current mass wasting.
geology
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Compositional Heterogeneity Structures Microbial Microhabitats across Distinct Mineral Substrates
[biorxiv.org] Microbial communities living on and in rocks operate at the microscale, where interactions with minerals fundamentally shape community structure and function. Yet the relationship between micron scale mineralogical configurations […]
Posted inGaia - Planetary Perspectives
Global Carbon Fixation In Earth’s Subsurface Biosphere
[biorxiv.org] The subsurface of our planet hosts 15% of Earth’s biomass and plays a key role in mediating the exchange of volatiles and elements between deep, long-residence-time geological reservoirs and […]
![This illustration contrasts Earth's oceans during ancient glaciations (left) with deglacial conditions (right). Syracuse University researchers found that oceans lost oxygen not just during warm periods, but repeatedly during Earth's deepest ice ages, a pattern preserved in manganese deposits within ancient seafloor rock. (Courtesy: Xubin Wang, generated with AI)-- [Syracuse University]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Metal-deposits.jpg?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology
Metal Deposits Linked To Oceanic Oxygen Loss During Ancient Ice Ages
[Syracuse University] An international team of researchers analyzed manganese and other chemical signatures preserved in more than 27,000 ancient seafloor samples collected from six continents. Across six major glaciations spanning […]
Posted inAnalog Studies
Offworld Astrogeology Training In Iceland
Iceland’s diverse volcanic terrain is an excellent stand-in for lunar and planetary processes and provides an ideal environment in which to simulate surface science operations. Editor’s note: when it comes […]
![(a) Schematic of Europan ice-ocean system [related image in 11]. (b) Map of sea surface temperature (◦C) showing the transition between the temperature-stratified North Atlantic Ocean and the salt-stratified Arctic Ocean; (c) Potential temperature (left) and salinity (right) profiles with depth from location near the North Pole. Different water-mass characteristics are labeled. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/What-can.png?resize=1200%2C582&ssl=1)
Posted inWater/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
What Can Planetary Ice Shells Teach Us about Ocean Mixing and Life, and Why Salt Matters
[astro-ph.EP] Past and present climates, both on Earth and in planetary systems, maintain ice covers with underlying oceans. This can range from sea ice in the Arctic Ocean to global […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Could Earthquakes Sustain Yellowstone’s Underground Life?
[USGS] When you think of earthquakes, “life-sustaining” might not be the phrase that immediately jumps to mind. If you haven’t experienced the destruction of an earthquake yourself, you’ve certainly seen […]
Posted inMars
A Consolidated Mössbauer Spectrum For Undisturbed Soils From Gusev Crater, Mars
[Springer Nature] Mössbauer analyses from MIMOS II data collected on Mars provided breakthrough insights into iron mineralogy of the planet’s surface. [Life] Resulting from limited measurement time, science operations were […]
Posted inMars
Viking Science
[Astrobiology (Journal)] The Viking missions hosted identical payloads on each of two orbiters and landers. All four missions far exceeded their pre-planned operating times and science objectives, with all but […]
Posted inMars
Current Water Trapping Micro-habitats On The Surface Of Mars
[Science Direct] This paper presents a conceptual model exploring a possible mechanism by which liquid water could potentially be maintained in direct contact with hypothetical microorganisms during warm daytime periods […]