The distribution and origin of serpentine on Mars can provide insights into the planet’s aqueous history, habitability, and past climate.
geology
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report, Venus
The Punctuated Evolution of the Venusian Atmosphere From a Transition in Mantle Convective Style and Volcanic Outgassing
A key question in the planetary sciences centers on the divergence between the sibling planets, Venus and Earth. Venus currently does not operate with plate tectonics, and its thick atmosphere […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Mars, Press Release
Prospecting the First Chilean Martian Simulants From the Atacama Desert for ISRU and Potential Applications
Martian simulants are an essential part of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology development and testing, and aid in providing new astrobiology insights regarding Mars’s past habitability.
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ignan Earths: Habitability of Terrestrial Planets With Extreme Internal Heating
Is it possible for a rocky planet to have too much internal heating to maintain a habitable surface environment? In the Solar System, the best example of a world with […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Deep Terrestrial Indigenous Microbial Community Dominated By Candidatus Frackibacter
Characterizing deep subsurface microbial communities informs our understanding of Earth’s biogeochemistry as well as the search for life beyond the Earth.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Journey to the Center of the Earth: The Search for Dark Oxygen
By Emily Greenhalgh – The elevator ride down was quicker than he expected. South Africa has the deepest active mines on Earth. And MBL scientist Emil Ruff and an international […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
The Subseafloor Crustal Biosphere: Ocean’s Hidden Biogeochemical Reactor
Underlying the thick sediment layer in ocean basins, the flow of seawater through the cracked and porous upper igneous crust supports a previously hidden and largely unexplored active subsurface microbial […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
New Evidence For Hidden Water Reservoirs And Rare Magmas On Ancient Mars
A new study explores how variations in Mars’ crustal thickness during its ancient history may have influenced the planet’s magmatic evolution and hydrological systems. The research, published in Earth and […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Extending The Chart Of Life By Nearly 1.5 billion Years
If all the world’s a stage and all the species merely players, then their exits and entrances can be found in the rock record.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Prehistoric Rock In Japan Reveals Clues To A Major Ocean Anoxic Event
By studying prehistoric rocks and fossils emerging from the side of Mount Ashibetsu in Japan, researchers have precisely refined the timing and duration of Ocean Anoxic Event 1a (OAE 1a), […]