55 Cancri e is a ∼8 Gyr rocky world (1.95 R⊕, 8.8 M⊕) orbiting a K-type star. JWST observations suggest a carbon-dominated atmosphere (CO2/CO) over a global magma ocean (>3000 […]
magma ocean
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report
Magma Ocean Waves And Thermal Variability On Lava Worlds
Lava worlds are rocky planets with dayside skins made molten by stellar irradiation. Tidal heating on these shortest-period planets is more than skin deep.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Press Release, Radiation
Hidden Magma Oceans Could Shield Rocky Exoplanets From Harmful Radiation
Deep beneath the surface of distant exoplanets known as super-earths, oceans of molten rock may be doing something extraordinary: powering magnetic fields strong enough to shield entire planets from dangerous […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
A Window For Water-hydrogen Demixing On Warm Metal-rich Sub-Neptunes
Sub-Neptunes represent the largest exoplanet demographic, yet their bulk compositions remain poorly understood.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Moon, Status Report
Onset Of Habitable Conditions On The Hadean Earth Set By Feedback Between Tides And Greenhouse Forcing
In the aftermath of the Moon-forming giant impact, the Hadean Earth’s mantle and surface crystallized from a global magma ocean blanketed by a dense volatile-rich atmosphere.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia Mission, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Experiments Show Water Creation During Planet Formation Process
Our galaxy’s most abundant type of planet could be rich in liquid water due to formative interactions between magma oceans and primitive atmospheres during their early years, according to new […]
Posted inLava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report
Magma Ocean Interactions Can Explain JWST Observations Of The sub-Neptune TOI-270 d
Sub-Neptunes with substantial atmospheres may possess magma oceans in contact with the overlying gas, with chemical interactions between the atmosphere and magma playing an important role in shaping atmospheric composition.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Impact events, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Multiple Giant Impacts and Chemical Equilibria: An Integrated Approach to Rocky Planet Formation
During the formation of rocky planets, the surface environments of growing protoplanets were dramatically different from those of present-day planets.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Exoplanets Are Not Water Worlds
An exoplanet orbiting a dwarf star 124 light-years from Earth made headlines around the world in April 2025. Researchers at the University of Cambridge reported that planet K2-18b could be […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
On The Efficacy Of Ocean Formation With A Primordial Hydrogen Atmosphere
It has been suggested that Earth’s present water budget formed from oxidation reactions between its initial hydrogen-rich primordial atmosphere and its magma ocean.