The vibrant reefs that line the shores of the Red Sea, well known to tourists and divers alike, belie the fact that this marine environment is one of the harshest […]
hydrothermal vent
Posted inAstrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Methane Formation Before The Emergence Of Life
A team at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg has found that iron and reactive oxygen species drive the formation of methane in aqueous environments. In Earth’s […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mars, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Organic Biosignature Degradation in Hydrothermal and Serpentinizing Environments: Implications for Life Detection on Icy Moons and Mars
Evidence of liquid water is a primary indicator of habitability on the icy moons in our outer solar system as well as on terrestrial planets such as Mars.
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Schmidt Ocean Institute Launches New Research Vessel That Will Change the Face of Ocean Exploration
Schmidt Ocean Institute launched today its newly refitted 110-meter global-class research vessel for use by scientists worldwide to dramatically advance marine science and push the frontiers of deep sea expedition.
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
Culexarchaeia, A Novel Archaeal Class Of Anaerobic Generalists Inhabiting Geothermal Environments
Geothermal environments, including terrestrial hot springs and deep-sea hydrothermal sediments, often contain many poorly understood lineages of archaea.
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Hydrothermal Vent Site Expands The Estimates Of Seafloor Mineral Deposits
When scientists discovered a hydrothermal vent site in the Arctic Ocean’s Aurora hydrothermal system in 2014, they did not immediately realize just how exciting their discovery was.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Quantifying The Bioavailable Energy In An Ancient Hydrothermal Vent On Mars And A Modern Earth-based Analogue
Putative alkaline hydrothermal systems on Noachian Mars were potentially habitable environments for microorganisms. However, the types of reactions that could have fueled microbial life in such systems and the amount […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Discovery Transforms Understanding Of Hydrogen Depletion At The Seafloor
The discovery of hydrothermal vents – where volcanoes at the seafloor produce hot fluid exceeding 350 degrees Celsius, or 662 degrees Fahrenheit, fundamentally changed our understanding about Earth and life […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Hundreds Of Hydrothermal Chimneys Discovered On The Seafloor Off The Pacific Northwest
At the Endeavour Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) northwest of Washington State, the seafloor is ripping apart. Magma beneath the seafloor heats water […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Deep Sea Vents Had Ideal Conditions For Origin Of Life
By creating protocells in hot, alkaline seawater, a UCL-led research team has added to evidence that the origin of life could have been in deep-sea hydrothermal vents rather than shallow […]