Planets with large bodies of water on their surface will have more temperate and stable climates, and such planets are the ideal places for life-as-we-know-it to arise and evolve.
oceans
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Titan In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Sample Return (TISR)
Titan is unique in the outer solar system in that it is the only moon with a thick atmosphere, and the only body in the solar system outside the Earth […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Venus, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Retention Of Surface Water On Tidally Locked Rocky Planets In The Venus Zone Around M Dwarfs
Terrestrial planets within the Venus zone surrounding M dwarf stars can retain surface ice caps on the perpetual dark side if atmospheric heat transport is inefficient, (as suggested by previous […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
The Fate of Oceans on First-Generation Planets Orbiting White Dwarfs
Several groups have recently suggested that small planets orbiting very closely around white dwarf stars could be promising locations for life to arise, even after stellar death. There are still […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extinction events, Press Release, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean World Update: Sea Life On Earth Will Struggle To Survive Future Global Warming
A new study highlights how some marine life could face extinction over the next century, if human-induced global warming worsens.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Evolution of Gas Envelopes and Outgassed Atmospheres of Rocky Planets Formed via Pebble Accretion
We present here results of numerical simulations of the formation and early evolution of rocky planets through pebble accretion, with an with an emphasis on hydrogen envelope longevity and the […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Titan’s Lakes May Be Shaped By Waves
Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is the only other planetary body in the solar system that currently hosts active rivers, lakes, and seas. These otherworldly river systems are thought to be […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extinction events, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ancient Ocean Slowdown Warns Of Future Climate Chaos On Earth
When it comes to the ocean’s response to global warming, we’re not in entirely uncharted waters. A UC Riverside study shows that episodes of extreme heat in Earth’s past caused […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
NASA Makes Dual Investment in Ocean Worlds Research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
(From 2019) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will invest in a major new research program headquartered at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) that pulls together some of […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1
The Implications of Thermal Hydrodynamic Atmospheric Escape on the TRAPPIST-1 Planets
JWST observations of the 7-planet TRAPPIST-1 system will provide an excellent opportunity to test outcomes of stellar-driven evolution of terrestrial planetary atmospheres, including atmospheric escape, ocean loss and abiotic oxygen […]