Decades of study have hinted at the astrobiological potential of Venus’s cloud layers. This potential is often cast as stemming from the idea that the Venusian surface was clement in […]
JGR Planets
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report
In Situ Carbonation of Sedimentary and Igneous Rocks of Ultramafic Composition in Jezero Crater, Mars
Over 3.5 years of exploration in Jezero Crater, the Perseverance rover has explored several geological units of diverse origins and natures, performing multi-technique remote analyses of the chemistry and mineralogy […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report
Rover-Induced Mineral Transformations: Extent of the Effect for the Mars Science Laboratory and Opportunities for Future Landed Mission
X-ray amorphous sulfate hydrates are a substantial component (up to 23 wt%) of the sedimentary rocks and sands analyzed to date by the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Gale […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report, Titan
Titan’s Plains Revealed: Evidence For A Layered Surface
Undifferentiated plains are the most common terrain type on Titan, yet their composition and geologic history remain poorly understood.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Ceres, Enceladus, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Microstructure Controls Sublimation Timescales of Exposed Salt-Rich Ices on Icy Worlds
Salt-rich water ice at the surfaces of icy worlds, for example, Europa, Enceladus, and Ceres, is of particular interest for Solar System exploration as it can represent a record of […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ancient Mars Climate With a Polar Ocean and Ice Sheet Dynamics
In this article, we study the conditions required to maintain a stable ocean on Mars 3 Ga using a new suite of simulations.
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report
Mineralogically Diverse and Salt-Rich Regolith in Jezero Crater Characterized Using X-Ray Spectroscopy
The Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) onboard the Perseverance rover has characterized the composition of Martian regolith at a scale of hundreds of microns using micro-focus X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Venus
Away Team Training: Analogs for VENus’ GEologically Recent Surfaces (AVENGERS) Initiative
Editor’s note: when it comes to conducting field trips – sorties – Away Team missions – on another world, astrogeology and astrobiology and astrochemistry overlap with one another all the […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report
Questioning the Reliability of Methane Detections on Mars by the Curiosity Rover
Over the past decade, the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) on NASA’s Curiosity rover has reported several detections of methane on Mars, attracting attention due to the potential astrobiological implications of […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Titan
The Mystery Of Titan’s Missing Deltas
For scientists who want to learn about the geological history of a planet, river deltas are a great place to start. Deltas gather sediment from a large area into one […]