water world Archives

Optical depth spectrum and ENIIGMA best-fit model for the 4.0-4.45 µm region and its separate components. Major gas lines are labeled. The inset zooms in on the HDO ice feature. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

First Detection Of HDO Ice In A Protoplanetary Disk

by Keith CowingJune 11, 2026June 11, 2026

Protoplanetary disks are the birthplace of planets and planetary systems. Investigating the molecular inventory of disks is key to linking the chemical evolution of the interstellar medium and the makeup […]

Monterey Bay Aquarium biologists worked alongside MBARI's skilled submersible pilots to gently collect animals for the Monterey Bay Aquarium's groundbreaking deep-sea exhibition, Into the Deep/En lo Profundo. Image: George Matsumoto ©2026 MBARI

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ocean Planet Recon: MBARI and Monterey Bay Aquarium Complete Expedition to Guide Seamount

by Keith CowingJune 2, 2026June 2, 2026

Editor’s note: When we start to mount Astrobiology missions to explore ocean worlds we’ll need ways for our robotic submersibles to observe and interact with whatever life forms they may […]

Maps of annual mean sea ice and continental precipitation (A) and annual mean sea surface temperature (in ocean regions) and surface air temperature (over continents) (B) for simulations with Earth-like ocean salinity (35 g/kg) and obliquity (23.5◦ ), at Archean instellation on the left and present-day instellation on the right. Land contours mapped in the figure (in black) are more detailed than the actual Earth-like continent configuration used in the model. -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Synergistic Effects of Ocean Salinity and Planetary Obliquity Enhance Habitability of Cold Exo-Earths

by Keith CowingMay 6, 2026May 6, 2026

Past work has shown that ocean salinity and planetary obliquity both influence the climates of Earth-like exoplanets throughout the habitable zone of Sun-like stars. The effects of salinity and obliquity […]

A schematic illustration of the geological and geochemical characteristics of the pre-biotic Earth. The important characteristics include: the nearly-completely ocean-covered Earth; the continental crust mostly submerged in the oceans; the degassing of gases/fluids to the oceans mostly by reducing submarine hydrothermal fluids; the H2–CH4–NH3-rich atmosphere; the Fe–S–H+-poor oceans; the origin and evolution of life on ocean islands; and an organic haze layer for the protection of life from UV radiation from the sun. -- Scientific Reports

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

The Hydrogen, Methane And Ammonia Biosphere On Early Earth

by Keith CowingMay 4, 2026May 4, 2026

Current paradigms for the origin and evolutions of life and the environment on early Earth have been based on the premises that carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen gas (N2) were […]

(A) Schematic of the ice growth apparatus. (B) Image of the ice growth apparatus shortly after the onset of an experiment. (C) The ~50-cm-thick Europa 2 ice column immediately after extraction. The column is placed upside down to reduce brine loss from the highly porous basal region of the ice. (D) Ice columns subsectioned into smaller, more easily workable pieces and scored at 2-cm intervals in preparation for vertical partitioning. (E) The scored subsections in (D) were cut using an electric band saw, and the 2-cm layers were placed into 500-ml high-density polyethylene amber Nalgene sample bottles. These samples were subsequently melted, filtered, and processed via IC, ICP-OES, and NDIR spectroscopy to acquire our ionic composition and ionic fractionation profiles. -- Science Advances via PubMed

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

As Above, Not So Below: Ion Fractionation In Planetary Analog Ices

by Keith CowingApril 25, 2026April 25, 2026

The geophysical evolution and astrobiological potential of ocean worlds are indelibly linked to the chemical compositions of their oceans and ice shells.

Black points are the sample of the planetary formation dataset provided by Kimura & Ikoma (2022) in the phase space of ∆a = 0.005AU, ∆Mp = 0.5M⊕. Two-dimensional probability density distribution of the initial water content and hydrogen-rich atmospheric mass for GJ 486b analogs, constructed using Gaussian kernel density estimation (KDE). The water content axis is sampled logarithmically and the atmospheric mass axis is sampled linearly to properly account for the dynamic range of the variables. The red overlaid ellipse represents the 3σ confidence region derived from the covariance matrix, indicating the principal dispersion of the sample distribution. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Inversion of Hydrogen-rich Atmosphere and Water Content for GJ 486b

by Keith CowingApril 23, 2026April 23, 2026

GJ-486b is a close-in planet orbiting an M dwarf and is therefore expected to have undergone strong atmospheric escape. Motivated by theoretical and observational studies on the constraints of its […]

The same gentle wind that would create small ripples on a lake in Earth (right) would make large waves on Saturn’s largest moon Titan (left). In these renderings, the marker is measured in meters. Credit Courtesy of Taylor Perron, Una Schneck, et al

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Mars, Press Release, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Waves Hit Different On Other Planets

by Keith CowingApril 20, 2026April 20, 2026

On a calm day, a light breeze might barely ripple the surface of a lake on Earth. But on Saturn’s largest moon Titan, a similar mild wind would kick up […]

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

From Early Earth to Enceladus – Mineral Electrochemistry Could Drive Organic Synthesis

by Keith CowingApril 13, 2026April 13, 2026

At some point in Earth’s history, chemistry transitioned from abiotic organic synthesis—the building of more complicated organic molecules from smaller ones by nonbiological means—to biochemistry.

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Mineral-facilitated Aqueous Synthesis Of Hydrogen Cyanide From Prebiotically Abundant Amino Acids For Chemical Evolution

by Keith CowingApril 13, 2026May 4, 2026

Recent advances in prebiotic chemistry suggest that hydrogen cyanide (HCN) serves as a fundamental precursor for nearly all essential biomolecules and protometabolic processes for life’s emergence.

[L] NASA ID: art002e000192 art002e000192 (April 3, 2026) -- NASA [R] art002e000193 (April 3, 2026) -- NASA

Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Astronauts and Explorers, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, People Of Astrobiology, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Our Home World As Seen From Spaceship Integrity During Artemis II

by Keith CowingApril 11, 2026

Left: A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft’s window after completing the translunar injection burn on April […]