Understanding the set of conditions that allow rocky planets to have liquid water on their surface — in the form of lakes, seas or oceans — is a major scientific […]
oceans
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
600-million-year-old Ocean Water From The Himalayas Provides Clues To Earth’s Past
High up in the Himalayas, scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Niigata University, Japan, have discovered droplets of water trapped in mineral deposits that were likely left […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Icy Worlds, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Where Did Earth’s Water Come From? Not Melted Meteorites
Water makes up 71 percent of Earth’s surface, but no one knows how or when such massive quantities of it arrived on Earth.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Could Life Be Found On Saturn’s Moon Enceladus?
What can we learn about NASA Cassini spacecraft’s discovery of tiny particles from the icy ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus? What is causing these nanometer-sized silica grains to rise up […]
Posted inEuropa, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
In-situ Detection Of Europa’s Water Plumes Is Harder Than Previously Thought
Europa’s subsurface ocean is a potential candidate for life in the outer solar system. It is thought that plumes may exist which eject ocean material out into space, which may […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Deep-sea Black Carbon Comes From Hydrothermal Vents
Hydrothermal vents have been identified as a previously undiscovered source of dissolved black carbon in the oceans, furthering the understanding of the role of oceans as a carbon sink.
Posted inEuropa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Modeling Virus and Bacteria Populations in Europa’s Subsurface Ocean
The search for life in the universe is often informed by the study of “extreme” environments on Earth, which provide analogs for habitable locations in the Solar System, and whose […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Examining Proteomes And Earth’s Deep Oceans As The Location Of The Origin of Terrestrial Life
Some standard arguments are reviewed supporting deep ocean trenches as a likely location for the origin of terrestrial life.
Posted inIcy Worlds, Mimas, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
SwRI Investigations Reveal More Evidence That Mimas Is A Stealth Ocean World
When a Southwest Research Institute scientist discovered surprising evidence that Saturn’s smallest, innermost moon could generate the right amount of heat to support a liquid internal ocean, colleagues began studying […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Europa, Icy Worlds, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Comet Impacts Could Bring The Ingredients For Life To Europa’s Ocean
Comet strikes on Jupiter’s moon Europa could help transport critical ingredients for life found on the moon’s surface to its hidden ocean of liquid water — even if the impacts […]