hydrothermal vent
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ocean Planet Exploration: Alvin Crew Witnesses Seafloor Eruption On The East Pacific Rise

by Keith Cowing

Scientists diving in the human-occupied vehicle Alvin recently witnessed a rare but predicted seafloor eruption along the mid-ocean ridge axis at 9°50’N on the East Pacific Rise.

Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Geobiology: Iron, Sulfur, Heat – And First Life

by Keith Cowing

The very first cells obtained their energy from geochemical reactions. LMU researchers have now managed to recreate this ancient metabolic process in their laboratory.

Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ocean Planet Biodiversity Genomics

by Keith Cowing

The deep sea, covering approximately 65% of Earth’s surface, has long been considered a biological desert. In this extreme environment—particularly in the hadal zone at depths greater than 6,000 meters—organisms […]

Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Status Report

Evaluating Serpentinization as a Source of Phosphite to Microbial Communities in Hydrothermal Vents

by Keith Cowing

Previous studies have documented the presence of phosphite, a reduced and highly soluble form of phosphorus, in serpentinites, which has led to the hypothesis that serpentinizing hydrothermal vents could have […]

Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Were Earth’s Blue Oceans Once Green?

by Keith Cowing

Scientists find evidence that our oceans used to be green, suggesting that this may be a sign of primitive life, including that on alien worlds.

Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Water Planet Surveys: Discovering Underwater Volcanoes

by Keith Cowing

The Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA), in collaboration with other partners such as the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), University of California Santa Barbara, and Kiva Marine, recently […]

Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report

Microbes in Extreme Environments: Life at the Limits and Its Biotechnological Applications

by Keith Cowing

Microorganisms are found in nearly every environment on Earth, including some of the most extreme habitats where life was once thought to be impossible. These “extremophiles” thrive in conditions of […]

Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Press Release

How Did Life Develop On Early Earth? New Source Of Nitrogen Discovered

by Keith Cowing

Researchers involving RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, Southwestern Germany, are unraveling mysteries of a bygone era: As part of current studies, they are investigating how life could have developed on the early […]

Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Earth’s Northernmost Seafloor Hydrothermal System Shows Even More Variety In Vent Styles Than Expected

by Keith Cowing

A new study about Earth’s northernmost seafloor hydrothermal system shows even more variety in vent styles than previously thought. This has important implications for understanding the origin of these vents […]

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