Ocean world Archives

Schematic overview of the interior model of Trappist1f,g,h. The ice I layer is divided into a conductive and a convective sublayer. The thermal model determines the thickness of the conductive and convective layers, Rice,I , RHPI, and Qeq. The tidal model computes the tidal heating rates in the HPI, and the mantle. The layer boundaries are not to scale. Note that the convective layer -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Interior-Atmosphere Coupling on TRAPPIST-1 f, g, and h: Cryovolcanic Water Exospheres and Infrared Detectability

by Keith CowingMay 28, 2026May 28, 2026

We investigate the interior structures and cryovolcanic observability of the exoplanets TRAPPIST-1f, g, and h. Our aim is to determine which interior configurations can sustain subsurface liquid water oceans in […]

Illustration of the thermal structure of Titan’s atmosphere and its atmospheric processes. It illustrates the high-altitude photochemistry of N2 and CH4, leading to the formation of more complex organic molecules, aerosols, and cloud systems. It also depicts surface–atmosphere interactions and highlights the methane cycle (evaporation, condensation, and precipitation). -- Nature via PubMed

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Icy Worlds, Saturn, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Titan’s Organic World

by Keith CowingMay 24, 2026May 24, 2026

Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, possesses a dense N2–CH4 atmosphere driving complex organic chemistry. The interplay among photochemistry, aerosol formation, organic cloud condensation, and surface deposition makes Titan a natural laboratory […]

A new SwRI study has raised doubts about the existence of water vapor plumes on Jupiter’s moon Europa -- NASA

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

SwRI Findings Reconsider The Existence Of Europa’s Vapor Plumes

by Keith CowingMay 19, 2026May 19, 2026

Looking back at 14 years of Hubble telescope data for Jupiter’s moon Europa has given Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) scientists a better understanding of its tenuous atmosphere. The findings have […]

The plumes of Enceladus - NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Larger image

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

A Framework For Evaluating Biosignature Potential Against The Abiotic Baseline On Ocean Worlds

by Keith CowingMay 18, 2026May 18, 2026

Ocean worlds are considered as targets for life detection missions because they meet several key requirements for habitability. However, identifying potential life on other worlds requires observing clear and unambiguous […]

NOAA Ocean Exploration’s recently released environmental DNA (eDNA) data help us better understand what lives in the deep ocean. Among these data is evidence of invertebrates, like Crossota millsae (the jellyfish seen here); fish; marine mammals; microbes; and more. While some of the organisms found in these data have been seen on previous expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, others, like Macropinna microstoma (barreleye fish), remain elusive. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration. Download largest version (jpg, 893.9 KB).

Analog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Water World Genomics: Unlocking Ocean Secrets With eDNA

by Keith CowingMay 6, 2026May 6, 2026

Editor’s note: with recent speculation about the potential habitability of other worlds and understanding the processes whereby other biospheres arise and evolve, thought needs to be given to developing sensor […]

Hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor spew black smoke, which forms when super-hot vent water hits the cold ocean. Scientists view them as candidates for where life may have started, because they provide heat, minerals and chemical energy that early life could have used to form and grow. Photo: Richard Lutz

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Extinction events, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Did Impacts From Meteors Help Start Life On Earth?

by Keith CowingMay 6, 2026May 6, 2026

Meteor impacts may have helped spark life on Earth, creating hot, chemical-rich environments where the first living cells could take shape, according to research integrated by a recent Rutgers University […]

Titan is an abode of NH3. (A) Titan captured by the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem. The thick atmosphere of Titan is visible by a haze across the surface and a lack of surface details. Saturn’s other moon, Tethys, is observed behind Titan. Image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute. (B) False-colour mosaic of Titan obtained by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer of Cassini. Colours correspond to atmospheric (red) and surface features (green and blue). The inset image indicates the possible occurrence of a cryovolcano on the surface. Cryovolcanic slurries of water, NH3, and methanol have been tentatively observed on the surface. Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.

Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Saturn, Status Report, Titan

Ammonia As A Parameter Shaping Habitability On Icy Moons

by Keith CowingMay 6, 2026May 6, 2026

The search for life now extends beyond the traditional habitable zone to include the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. These moons feature ice-covered surfaces overlying substantial oceans formed primarily […]

Artist’s impression of Dragonfly landing on Titan. Image: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Science Goals and Objectives for the Dragonfly Titan Rotorcraft Relocatable Lander

by Keith CowingApril 28, 2026April 28, 2026

NASA’s Dragonfly mission will send a rotorcraft lander to the surface of Titan in the mid-2030s. Dragonfly’s science themes include investigation of Titan’s prebiotic chemistry, habitability, and potential chemical biosignatures […]

Science payload compartment of the Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) -- ACS Measurement Science Au via PubMed

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

In Situ Analytical Chemistry Laboratory for the Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor

by Keith CowingApril 25, 2026April 25, 2026

In this paper, we report a fully automated, end-to-end (sample-in/data-out) capillary electrophoresis system.

Sedimentologic and mineralogic evidence for sedimentary rocks, clay stratigraphy and open-basin deltas along and within the detected shelf. a,b, Polar stereographic projections of the detected shelf showing 14,386 mounds interpreted to have formed by dichotomy retreat, consisting of thick-layered deposits up to 500 m in southern Chryse Planitia, Mars, along with widespread clay-bearing stratigraphy and open-basin deltas. -- Nature

Analog Studies, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Evidence For An Ancient Ocean On Mars

by Keith CowingApril 18, 2026April 18, 2026

Caltech researchers have identified geological features on Mars that could point to the existence of a long-dried ocean that once covered a third of the Red Planet’s surface.