Our Earth, being the only living planet that we know, provides us with clues that photosynthetic life-forms may be dominant on other exoplanets for billions of years.
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.
Small low-density exoplanets are sculpted by strong stellar irradiation but their origin is unknown.
Understanding where and in what quantities essential elements for life have existed on Earth’s surface helps explain the origin and evolution of life. Phosphorus (P) is one such element, forming […]
Recent claims of biosignature gases in sub-Neptune atmospheres have renewed interest in water-rich sub-Neptunes with surface oceans, often referred to as Hycean planets.
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) from the University of Sydney has taken a deep dive in the oceans surrounding Norfolk Island on an scientific expedition to document previously unexplored reefs.
An autonomous underwater vehicle can propel itself efficiently by using the energy in nearby water currents. Underwater and aerial vehicles must make their way through a complex environment of gusts […]
It has been suggested that Earth’s present water budget formed from oxidation reactions between its initial hydrogen-rich primordial atmosphere and its magma ocean.
![Darkening of the Global Ocean. (A) The rate change (units per year) in the diffuse attenuation coefficient for downwelling irradiance at 490 nm [ΔKd(490)] measured from MODIS Aqua between 2003 and 2022 in 9 km resolution (CRS: World Mollweide, ESRI:54009). Reds indicate regions where Kd(490) is increasing (oceans are getting darker), while blues indicate regions where Kd(490) is decreasing (oceans are getting lighter). White indicates regions where there was no statistically significant change in Kd(490) over the period 2003–2022. Values of ΔKd(490) were derived for each 9 km resolution pixel using quantile regression to the median performed on the fitted values of an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model of annual averaged Kd(490) data. (B) International Hydrographic Office sea regions ranked according to the percentage of their area over which Kd(490) is increasing. Numbers inset above bars give the absolute area where Kd(490) is increasing in 10,000 km2. Raw data are presented in Table S4. Areas were calculated in CRS World Mercator (ESRI:54004). -- Global Change Biology](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Water-Planet-Dynamics-Darkening.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
The photic zones of the oceans—where sunlight and moonlight drive ecological interactions—are one of the most productive habitats on the planet and fundamental to the maintenance of healthy global biogeochemical […]
Remote Sensing (RS) is a crucial technology for observing, monitoring, and interpreting our planet, with broad applications across geoscience, economics, humanitarian fields, etc.
