The ice-encrusted oceans of some of the moons orbiting Saturn and Jupiter are leading candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life. A new lab-based study led by the University of […]
ocean
Posted inCaves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Icy Impacts: Gauging The Thickness Of Ice On Europa
Sometimes planetary physics is like being in a snowball fight. Most people, if handed an already-formed snowball, can use their experience and the feel of the ball to guess what […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
The Geochemical Potential for Metabolic Processes on the Sub-Neptune Exoplanet K2-18b
Quantifying disequilibria is important to understand whether an environment could be habitable. It has been proposed that the exoplanet K2-18b has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean, making it […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Oxygen Increased In Earth’s Tropical Ocean During The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
Oxygenation in the tropical North Pacific Ocean increased during a warm climatic interval that occurred roughly 56 million years ago, despite high global temperatures, according to a new study.
Posted inHabitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mimas, Press Release, Saturn, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Mimas Has A Young Ocean Beneath Its Icy Shell
Hidden beneath the heavily cratered surface of Mimas, one of Saturn’s smallest moons, lies a secret: a global ocean of liquid water.
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Underwater Droid AUV “Ran” Has Gone Missing Under An Antarctic Glacier
The unmanned underwater vehicle Ran has gone missing under a glacier in Antarctica. The vehicle, owned by the University of Gothenburg, is one of three similar in the whole world […]
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Modeling Ocean Dynamics On Earth: Applications For Understanding Other Water Worlds
Editor’s note: one of the things we are looking for as we examine the icy water worlds in our own solar system and exoplanets circling other stars are oceans. Earth […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
The Surface Of Enceladus Shields Buried Organics
The Saturnian moon Enceladus presents a unique opportunity in our Solar System to search for evidence of life, given its habitable ocean and plume that deposits organic-bearing ocean material onto […]
Posted inIcy Worlds, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Resonant Stratification In Titan’s Global Ocean
Titan’s ice shell floats on top of a global ocean revealed by the large tidal Love number k2=0.616±0.067 registered by Cassini. The Cassini observation exceeds the predicted k2 by one […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Surface Water Dives Deep And Transforms Earth’s Core’s Outer Layer
A few decades ago, seismologists imaging the deep planet identified a thin layer, just over a few hundred kilometers thick. The origin of this layer, known as the E prime […]