magnetic field Archives

Discrete mesh for the 3-D model with a heterogeneous ice shell thickness. The ice shell surface and base are constrained by models depicted in Figure 1 and described in Table 1. The yellow circle depicts the ice base of the mean ice shell, corresponding to the 1-D model. Three colors denote ice, ocean, and core regions. Each region is assigned a homogeneous electrical conductivity according to Table 2. The total number of cells in the mesh is 126976. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release

Exploring Enceladus’s Interior Structure Using Electromagnetic Induction

by Keith CowingMay 13, 2026May 13, 2026

Electromagnetic (EM) sounding can constrain the electrical structure of Enceladus and, in turn, the salinity of its ocean and the porosity, fluid content, and thermal state of its hydrothermally active […]

Numerical ocean-induction setup for Ganymede in a deep-ocean scenario with REM = 1.77 . Ganymede's internal structure is depicted, featuring the ice crust, the deep ocean with its simulated zonal flow, the internal ice layer, the silicate mantle, and the metallic core. Yellow tubes visualize the magnetic field lines. The bottom-right panel shows how magnetic field lines are sheared by the zonal (east–west) jet flow in the ocean (blue/red denote westward/eastward jets, respectively), thereby reflecting the secondary magnetic field induced by such dynamics. -- Geophysical Research Letters

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Jupiter, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Motional Induction in Ganymede’s Ocean

by Keith CowingMay 10, 2026May 11, 2026

We investigate the magnetic signature of oceanic circulation in Ganymede’s subsurface ocean using kinematic induction modeling. Our approach couples zonal jet flows from rotating thermal convection simulations with magnetic field […]

Artist’s impression of the simulations conducted in this research. Jupiter (lower left) has a strong magnetic field which creates a cavity in its circumplanetary disk. Saturn (upper right) lacks a strong magnetic field so its circumplanetary disk evolves without a cavity. Credit: Yuri I. Fujii/L-INSIGHT [Kyoto University], Illustrator: Shinichiro Kinoshita

Astrogeology, Callisto, Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Gas Giants, Icy Worlds, Io, Jupiter, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Press Release, Rhea, Saturn, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

How Jupiter Cultivated More Large Moons Than Saturn

by Keith CowingApril 8, 2026April 8, 2026

The two largest planets in our Solar System, Jupiter and Saturn, also have the largest satellite systems, or the most moons. At present, Jupiter’s reported moon count stands at more […]

Astrogeology, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Jupiter, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Motional Induction In Ganymede’s Ocean

by Keith CowingMarch 14, 2026March 14, 2026

The reconstructed timeframe of the YSDP-4 drill core. (A) Depth-adjusted χfd% series (gray curve)

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Study Reveals Asynchronous Land–ocean Responses To Ancient Ocean Anoxia

by Keith CowingMarch 9, 2026March 9, 2026

Earth experienced a period of intense, large-scale volcanism during the early Aptian. Around that time, it also experienced widespread ocean deoxygenation during the Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a) as well […]

ultraviolet aurorae on Ganymede ©️ NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/UVS/ULiège/Gusbin/Bonfond

Ganymede, Jupiter, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Press Release, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics

Similarities Between Auroras On Ganymede And Earth

by Keith CowingFebruary 25, 2026February 25, 2026

A team of astrophysicists from the Laboratory of Atmospheric and Planetary Physics (LPAP) has observed for the first time the fine details of the auroras on Ganymede, the only moon […]

Height scales of atmospheres of Solar System’s terrestrial planets. The solid lines show the temperature profiles against altitude, while the background color reflects the atmospheric pressure. Horizontal dashed lines denote the average positions of atmospheric boundaries: tropopause ("t"), stratopause ("s"), and mesopause ("m"). Vertical cyan lines depict the extension of ionospheres ("i") under typical conditions. The "⊙" symbol denotes the 100 mbar level. -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Status Report

Upper Atmosphere Dynamics And Drivers Of Volatiles Loss From Terrestrial-type (exo)Planets

by Keith CowingFebruary 18, 2026February 18, 2026

Volatile loss from exoplanetary atmospheres and its possible implications for the longevity of habitable surface conditions is a topic of vigorous debate currently.

Deep layers of molten rock inside some super-earths could generate powerful magnetic fields—potentially stronger than Earth’s—and help shield these exoplanets from harmful radiation. (University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics illustration / Michael Franchot)

Atmospheres, 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

by Keith CowingJanuary 21, 2026January 21, 2026

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 […]

Stephen Scheidt and Zach Morse of NASA’s Goddard Instrument Field Team photograph the inside of a cave in ultraviolet light, Hawaii, September 2022. NASA/Caela Barry

Analog Studies, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors

Tricorder Tech: NASA Goddard Instrument Away Team On Hawaii

by Keith CowingDecember 23, 2025December 23, 2025

Editor’s note: This story is adapted from content originally published on NASA social media accounts in September 2022.

An image of Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny roundworm, showing internal structures including the intestine, pharynx, and body wall muscle. C. elegans is one of the simplest organisms with a nervous system. Scientists use it to study nervous system development, among other things. This image was captured with a quantitative orientation-independent differential interference contrast (OI-DIC) microscope. The scale bar is 100 µm. Source NIH/Marine Biological Laboratory/University of Chicago

Analog Studies, Desert Worlds, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Gravitational Biology, Habitable Zones, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Born On Mars: Multigenerational Phenotypic Change In Caenorhabditis Elegans Under Martian Analog Gravity And Hypomagnetic Fields

by Keith CowingDecember 21, 2025December 21, 2025

Life on Mars will require organisms to endure sustained exposure to reduced gravity and near-absent planetary magnetism, yet little is known about how these environmental factors may combine to potentially […]