[Earth and Planetary Science Letters] Whether Venus once had oceans and, if so, when it lost them are critical issues in the understanding of habitability on exoplanets, as well as […]
hydrology
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Crustal Water Reservoir On Early Mars
[Geophysical Research Letters]. The next great leap in Martian exploration is the return of samples to Earth. Maximizing their scientific value requires non-destructive analytical techniques for early three-dimensional characterization.
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Cracks In A Martian Crater’s Ice
[NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA] Many impact craters on Mars were filled with ice in past climates. Sometimes this ice flows or slumps down the crater walls into the center and acquires concentric wrinkles […]
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The Search for Life and Biosignatures on Mars: A Mars System Science Approach (Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Cryosphere, Lithosphere, Geologic History)
[Astrobiology (Journal)] The most important quest in Mars exploration is the search for biosignatures. We adopt a Mars System Science approach, calling on information from the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, […]
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Subsurface Sediment Mobilization On Mars
[NASA/JPL/UA] This image covers a pie-like feature that thought to be the result of subsurface sediment mobilization.
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Mars Curiosity Blog Sols 4961-4967: Approaching a Break in the Rock Record?
[NASA JPL] Earth planning date: Friday, July 24, 2026
![This global map of Mars (greys) is overlaid with a map of ice “consistency,” C. Values of C near one (dark blue) indicate a high likelihood of ice in three independent mappings. Lower values of C (lighter blues) indicate lower confidence in ice being present, and indicate detection in at least one dataset. The extreme north and south are both rich in ice (dark blues), ice is absent near the equator, and the presence of ice is uncertain (light blues) in the mid-latitude regions best for astronauts. Credit: Morgan & Putzig et al., 2025; Sizemore et al., 2026 -- [PSI]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Laying-Odds.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
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Laying Odds On The Potential For Martian Water
[PSI] We know Mars has water ice in its polar regions, but astronauts (and their solar powered equipment!) would much rather experience life closer to Mars’ equator. As NASA looks […]
![A close-up of the polygon fractures discovered by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover highlights their honeycomb-like textures. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS [Larger Image]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Curiosity-Mars.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
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Curiosity Mars Rover Discovers A Field Of Honeycomb Textures
[NASA] Mission scientists have never seen so many of the many-sided geologic features in one place on the Red Planet.
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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 […]
![(A) Summary interpolation of the extent of bedrock geologic units based on in situ mapping. The width of the mapping corridor is ∼120 m. White dots are positions occupied during the traverse for which images are available for mapping. (B) Summary of interpreted stratigraphic relationships between identified lithologic units along the Jezero crater floor traverse (A and B adapted from Crumpler et al., 2023; Fig. 19). (C) Orbital image of Jezero crater floor with the path of the Perseverance overlaid in white. (D) Inset of the crater floor campaign, with all Máaz abrasion patches shown (Guillaumes, Montpezat, Bellegarde, and Alfalfa), and the OEB (Octavia E. Butler) landing site indicated. The Guillaumes and Alfalfa abrasions are highlighted, as they are the focus of this article (altered from NASA). -- [Astrobiology (journal)]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Possible-Aqueous.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
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The Possible Aqueous Origins of Manganese Alteration Minerals in the Máaz Formation of Jezero Crater
[Astrobiology (journal)] Home to a lake around 4 billion years ago, Jezero Crater is a unique location to study the interplay between igneous processes and aqueous alteration on ancient Mars.