Gullies are common on steep slopes of many impact craters on Mars. When gullies were first observed, there was a lot of excitement surrounding them because similar features form on […]
geology
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
Studying Terrestrial Rocks To Prepare Techniques For Mars
In 2024, NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance collected an unusual rock sample. The rock, named Sapphire Canyon, features white, leopardlike spots with black borders within a red mudstone and might hold […]
![Comparison of elemental abundances from the literature and this work (filled circles) for the same stars. The y-axis shows the difference in abundance, [X/H]literature – [X/H]this work, plotted against the Tc of each element on the x-axis. Potassium (K) is excluded as it was not reported in the literature. The open squares and downward triangles show a direct comparison of abundances measured from HARPS and MIKE spectra using the same spectral lines and analysis methods applied in this study. The differences reflect both instrumental systematics and manual measurement variability between HARPS and MIKE. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Planets-Around-Solar-TwinsAnalogs.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Planets Around Solar Twins/Analogs (PASTA) II: Chemical Abundances, Systematic Offsets, And Clues To Planet Formation
Context. Previous studies have suggested that the Sun is relatively depleted in refractory elements compared to other solar twins or analogs, potentially as a result of planet formation. However, such […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Sample Return, Status Report
Mineralogy, Geochemistry And Morphology Of Arctic Gossans On Axel Heiberg Island, NU, Canada: Spectroscopic Investigation And Implications For Mars
Gossans are formed through the oxidation of sulfide ore deposits by fluids, such as meteoric water or hydrothermal solutions, leading to locally acidic conditions.
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Radiation, Status Report
Can A Convecting Magma Ocean Offer A Solution To The Puzzling Case Of Core Convection In Early Earth?
Convective flow in Earth’s iron-rich liquid core drives self-sustained dynamo action, generating Earth’s magnetic field, which is strongest among all terrestrial planets of the solar system.
Posted inAstrogeology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Europa Clipper Radar Instrument Proves Itself at Mars
The agency’s largest interplanetary probe tested its radar during a Mars flyby. The results include a detailed image and bode well for the mission at Jupiter’s moon Europa.
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release, Tethys, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Long-lived Mantle Plume Tracing The Onset And Spreading Of The Proto-Tethys Ocean
This study is led by Dr. Jinran Qiao (School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University), Prof. Shuguang Song (School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University), associate professor Jie […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Meteorites & Asteroids, Sample Return, Status Report
Laminae As Potential Biosignatures
Laminae are millimeter-scale features in rocks created by physiochemical processes that can be influenced by the presence and activities of communities of organisms that occur as biofilms and microbial mats.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return, Science Fiction
New Grand Canyon Fossils Show The Evolution Of Early Animals On Earth
A treasure trove of exceptionally preserved early animals from more than half a billion years ago has been discovered in the Grand Canyon, one of the natural world’s most iconic […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Press Release
Biogeochemistry: How Our Planet Forms Hydrocarbons Deep Inside
The multi-spheric structure of the Earth forms its skeleton, and the geological molten fluids constitute its blood. Its essence is the cross-spheric migration and redistribution of volatiles (e.g., carbon, hydrogen, […]