volcano Archives

Jupiter moon Io, imaged by SHARK-VIS on Jan. 10, 2024. This is the highest resolution image of Io ever obtained by an Earth-based telescope. The image combines three spectral bands — infrared, red and yellow — to highlight the reddish ring around the volcano Pele (below and to the right of the moon's center) and the white ring around Pillan Patera, to the right of Pele.

Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release

New Telescope Images Of Volcano World Io

by Keith CowingJune 7, 2024June 7, 2024

New images of Jupiter’s volcano-studded moon Io, taken by the Large Binocular Telescope on Mount Graham in Arizona, offer the highest resolution of Io ever achieved with an Earth-based instrument. […]

This computer-generated 3D model of Venus’ surface shows the volcano Sif Mons, which is exhibiting signs of ongoing activity. Using data from NASA’s Magellan mission, Italian researchers detected evidence of an eruption while the spacecraft orbited the planet in the early 1990s. Credit: NASA/JPL

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Status Report, Venus

Ongoing Venus Volcanic Activity Discovered With NASA’s Magellan Data

by Keith CowingMay 31, 2024May 31, 2024

Direct geological evidence of recent volcanic activity on Venus has been observed for a second time. Scientists in Italy analyzed archival data from NASA’s Magellan mission to reveal surface changes […]

Volcanic ash and mollusc shells surround a deep-sea hydrothermal vent at the vent field in the Kingdom of Tonga, Pacific Ocean. URI researchers had a unique opportunity to study the biology of the organisms living at the site of a volcanic eruption in the southern Pacific, able to see how life there is impacted by dramatic environmental change, whether natural (volcanic activity) or human (deep-sea mining).(Roxanne Beinart, chief scientist, URI. Funder: NSF © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extinction events, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Seafloor Life Devastated Near Explosive Volcanic Eruption In Pacific

by Keith CowingMay 20, 2024May 20, 2024

A University of Rhode Island oceanographer leading her first research cruise in the southern Pacific uncovered a surprise when her vessel looked below the waters in the Polynesian nation of […]

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Jupiter, Press Release

Atmospheric Isotopes Reveal 4.5 Billion Years Of Volcanism On Io

by Editor PostedApril 18, 2024August 19, 2024

Sulfur and chlorine isotopes in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s moon Io indicate that it has been volcanically active for the entire 4.57 billion-year history of the Solar System, according to […]

A schematic representation of the scenario we propose here for clean high-yield production of prebiotic feedstock. Events move around from top left clockwise: first Earth has a neutral atmosphere; this is reduced following giant impact at 4.3 Ga by oxidation of the impactor’s metal core to produce a massive H2 atmosphere with significant methane and ammonia; This atmosphere quickly cools (in < 1 kyr) with photochemistry producing a tholin-rich haze that deposits complex nitrogen-rich organics; these organics become progressively buried and graphitized by interaction with magma, the atmosphere clears as H2 is lost to space and becomes neutral again; finally, magmatic gases interact with the graphite, and are scrubbed to produce high yields of clean HCN, HC3N and isonitriles. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

A Surface Hydrothermal Source of Nitriles and Isonitriles

by Keith CowingMarch 24, 2024March 24, 2024

Giant impacts can generate transient hydrogen-rich atmospheres, reducing atmospheric carbon. The reduced carbon will form hazes that rain out onto the surface and can become incorporated into the crust. Once […]

Extended Data Fig. 5. Heat maps showing major metabolic potential functions and KEGG pathways for individual Halobacteria MAGs assembled from north Danakil hypersaline ecosystems. a, Presence (blue)-absence (white) of metabolic functions as inferred by Metabolic G in Danakil MAGs and representative GTDB genomes of Halobacteria. b, Modules of KEGG pathways identified in Halobacteria MAGs and GTDB reference genomes (outgroup). The blue color intensity indicates the completeness of the respective pathway (intense, complete). The names of our MAGs are highlighted in red. Aa, amino acid. -- biorxiv.org

Analog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Extremely Acidic Proteomes And Metabolic Flexibility In Bacteria And Highly Diversified Archaea Thriving In Geothermal Chaotropic Brines

by Keith CowingMarch 17, 2024November 21, 2025

Few described archaeal, and fewer bacterial, lineages thrive at salt-saturating conditions, such as solar saltern crystallizers (salinity above 30%-w/v).

A giant volcano hiding in plain sight in one of Mars’ most iconic regions. The newly discovered giant volcano on Mars is located just south of the planet’s equator, in Eastern Noctis Labyrinthus, west of Valles Marineris, the planet’s vast canyon system. The volcano sits on the eastern edge of a broad regional topographic rise called Tharsis, home to three other well-known giant volcanoes: Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Arsia Mons. Although more eroded and less high than these giants, the newly discovered volcano rivals the others in diameter, which is about 450 km (280 miles) (red dashed circle in this picture). Possible buried glacier ice is also reported under a relatively recent volcanic deposit within the perimeter of the eroded volcano, making the area attractive for the search for life and future robotic and human exploration. (Credit: Background image: NASA/USGS Mars globe. Geologic interpretation and annotations by Pascal Lee and Sourabh Shubham 2024).

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release

Giant Volcano Discovered On Mars

by Keith CowingMarch 13, 2024March 13, 2024

A deeply eroded giant volcano, active from ancient through recent times and with possible remnants of glacier ice near its base, had been hiding near Mars’ equator in plain sight. […]

The Lake Rotorua Map -- GNS Science, Te Pū Ao

Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Maps Reveal Lake Rotorua’s Hidden Depths And Hydrothermal Systems

by Keith CowingFebruary 26, 2024February 25, 2024

Following on from the Lake Rotomahana (2020), Lake Rotoiti (2021), and Lake Tarawera (2022) map releases, this new addition has redefined our understanding of the region’s hidden depths.

Jared Ralleta and Alice Baldridge at work in Kilbourne Hole, Potrillo Volcanic Field. -- NASA Note: Jared is using a Malvern Panalytical ASD FieldSpec 4 Hi-Res: High Resolution Spectroradiometer with a contact probe.

Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

NASA Goddard Geochemistry Group Away Team Practices Tricorder Use On Volcanic Deposits

by Keith CowingFebruary 20, 2024February 20, 2024

Location: Kilbourne Hole, Potrillo Volcanic Field, New Mexico

Topographic data are draped over infrared image data showing complex tectonic structures and volcanic deposits in the Eridania region of Mars. Warm colours are higher elevation. CREDIT NASA/Mars Odyssey/HRSC

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Mars, Press Release

Diverse Ancient Volcanoes On Mars May Hold Clues To Pre-plate Tectonic Activity On Earth

by Keith CowingFebruary 16, 2024February 16, 2024

Volcanoes are a common feature on the surfaces of solid planets within the solar system, resulting from magmatic activity occurring within the planetary crust. On Earth, volcanism is driven primarily […]