[ESA] New evidence from gas seeping above volcanic rifts suggests Mars is not geologically dead deep inside, but merely sleeping.
volcanism
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather
Coupled Evolution Of Earth’s H2-rich Proto-atmosphere And Oxidized Magma Ocean
[astro-ph.EP] Giant impacts during Earth’s final accretion likely generated global magma oceans, where the disproportionation of Fe2+ at lower-mantle pressures and segregation of the resulting metallic iron into the core […]
Posted inLava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds
Shiny Lava Planet Challenges Astronomers’ Expectations
[University of Birmingham] Astronomers have discovered that a rocky lava planet once thought to be too extreme to have any atmosphere appears to be wrapped in a reflective layer of […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
The Role Of Minerals In Prebiotic Evolution: Implications For Identifying Worlds With The Potential For Life’s Origin
[Fundamental Research] Understanding the origin of life requires explaining how abiotic molecules transitioned into the first living systems within plausible geological settings. Increasing evidence suggests minerals as active participants in […]
Posted inAnalog Studies
Offworld Astrogeology Training In Iceland
Iceland’s diverse volcanic terrain is an excellent stand-in for lunar and planetary processes and provides an ideal environment in which to simulate surface science operations. Editor’s note: when it comes […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Small-Scale Mineral And Microbial Heterogeneities Near A Fumarole At The Furnas Hydrothermal Zone On The Azores
[Life (Basel)]. The Azores are characterized by intense volcanic activity, creating unique environments such as fumarole sites, where geothermal gases and high temperatures drive distinct chemical and biological processes.
Posted inVenus
Venus: Dead? Far From It
[ETH Zurich] Simulations conducted by researchers at ETH Zurich suggest a strong likelihood that Venus’s rift valleys are still geologically active rather than being mere relics of a bygone era, […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology
Fire And Ice: Were Yellowstone’s Past Volcanic Eruptions And Glaciations Related?
[USGS/Yellowstone Volcano Observatory] Yellowstone is a land of fire and ice. Not only does it have a history of different styles of volcanic eruptions, but it has also been covered […]
Posted inExtinction events
Researchers Confirm The Cause Of Earth’s Biggest Mass Extinction
[Stanford University] A new Stanford-led study offers the clearest picture yet of how some ocean life survived our planet’s biggest mass extinction while most animals did not.
Posted inMars
New Evidence Suggests Vast Hidden Magma Systems Inside Mars
[University of Oxford] Researchers from the University of Oxford have uncovered evidence that Mars once hosted enormous, Earth-like magmatic systems deep beneath its surface – despite the planet lacking the […]