We have identified iridium in an ~5 m-thick section of pelagic sediment cored in the deep sea floor at Site 886C, in addition to a distinct spike in iridium at […]
Impact event
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Galactic Cosmic Rays on Extrasolar Earth-like Planets: Atmospheric Implications
Theoretical arguments indicate that close-in terrestial exoplanets may have weak magnetic fields. As described in the companion article (Paper I), a weak magnetic field results in a high flux of […]
Posted inImpact events
Giant Impacts on Earth-like Worlds
The late stages of terrestrial planet formation are dominated by giant impacts that collectively influence the growth, dynamical stability, composition and habitability of any planets that form. Hitherto, numerical models […]
Posted inImpact events
Did Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Trigger Largest Lava Flows on Earth?
The asteroid that slammed into the ocean off Mexico 66 million years ago and killed off the dinosaurs probably rang the Earth like a bell, triggering volcanic eruptions around the […]
Posted inImpact events, Press Release
Plants Survive Better Through Mass Extinctions Than Animals
At least 5 mass extinction events have profoundly changed the history of life on Earth. But a new study led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg shows that plants […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Impact events, Press Release
Small Impacts Likely Erased Much of Earth's Primordial Atmosphere
Today’s atmosphere likely bears little trace of its primordial self: Geochemical evidence suggests that Earth’s atmosphere may have been completely obliterated at least twice since its formation more than 4 […]
Posted inImpact events
Mapping the Demise of the Dinosaurs
About 65 million years ago, an asteroid or comet crashed into a shallow sea near what is now the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The resulting firestorm and global dust cloud […]
Posted inImpact events, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Toxic Ocean Conditions During Major Extinction 93.9 Million Years Ago
Oxygen in the atmosphere and ocean rose dramatically about 600 million years ago, coinciding with the first proliferation of animal life. Since then, numerous short lived biotic events — typically […]
Posted inComets and Asteroids, Extinction events, Impact events, Press Release
Ocean Asteroid Impact Could Deplete Earth’s Protective Ozone Layer for Years
An asteroid crashing into the deep ocean could have dramatic worldwide environmental effects including depleting the Earth’s protective ozone layer for several years, a Planetary Science Institute researcher has found.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report
Away Team Report: Haughton Mars Project – Sea-Ice Traverse Mission Completed
An international team of researchers led by Mars Institute scientist Dr. Pascal Lee successfully reached Devon Island, High Arctic, on Sunday, 16 May, 2010 after a 13-day, 150 km vehicular […]