The nucleosynthetic isotope signatures of meteorites and the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) indicate that Earth consists of a mixture of “carbonaceous” (CC) and “non-carbonaceous” (NC) materials.
geology
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Condensation and the Volatility Trend of the Earth
This article describes condensation of the elements and use of condensation temperatures (Tcond) to interpret the volatility trend of the Earth.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Experimental and Theoretical Studies of the Interactions of Alanine Onto Surfaces of Olivine and Montmorillonite: Relevance in Astrobiology
Amino acids have been detected in some meteorites and are readily synthesized in prebiotic experiments. These molecules may have been precursors of oligomers and polymers in the early Earth.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Press Release, Terraforming & Geoengineering
Carbon Dioxide Release From Magma Deep Beneath Ancient Volcanoes Was A Hidden Driver Of Earth’s Past Climate
An international team of geoscientists led by a volcanologist at Rutgers University-New Brunswick has discovered that, contrary to present scientific understanding, ancient volcanoes continued to spew carbon dioxide into the […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Habitable Zones, Mars, Sample Return, Status Report
Shedding A Light On The Kinetics Of The Carboxysulfitic Scenario
One way in which we can attempt to relate chemical pathways to geochemical environments is by studying the kinetics of a given sequence of reactions and identifying the conditions under […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Mars, Status Report
Atmospheric Oxidation Drove Climate Change On Noachian Mars
Modern Mars is bipolar, cold, and oxidizing, while early Mars was characterized by icy highlands, episodic warmth and reducing atmosphere. The timing and association of the climate and redox transitions […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mercury, Moon, Status Report
Sulfur In The Moon And Mercury
This chapter presents a comprehensive overview of the abundances and distribution of S, and the processes that control the behavior of S on the Earth’s Moon and on Mercury. The […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Mars Perseverance Rover Observes Red Rocks With Green Spots at Serpentine Rapids – Possible Biosignatures?
Editor’s note: I will make this simple: did NASA find evidence of life on Mars? No. Did NASA find an interesting rock feature that might signal or indicate that there […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
Subsurface Microbial Colonization at Mineral-Filled Veins in 2-Billion-Year-Old Mafic Rock from the Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa
Recent advances in subsurface microbiology have demonstrated the habitability of multi-million-year-old igneous rocks, despite the scarce energy supply from rock-water interactions.
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Conferences and Meetings, Courses, Education and Outreach, Status Report
RED25: An Astrobiology Introductory Course
RED is a Training School about the “Basics in Astrobiology”. Astrobiology addresses questions related to the origins of life, its evolution, and distribution in the Universe. This school aims to […]