Una nueva investigación encuentra que Actinobacteria en cuevas de lava fijan carbón y sobreviven independientemente de aportes superficiales, ofreciendo una nueva perspectiva en la investigación de la vida fuera de la Tierra.
life as we know it
Extinct Style of Plate Tectonics Explains Early Earth’s Flat Mountains
The geologic record suggests that despite Earth’s hot, thin crust during the Proterozoic, mountains were still able to form thanks to an extinct style of crustal deformation.
Días más largos probablemente incrementaron el oxígeno temprano de la Tierra
Tapetes microbianos en el sumidero del Lago Huron, combinado con modelado, sugiere que el cambio en duración del día de la Tierra podría haber jugado un rol principal en la oxigenación de la atmósfera.
Purple Bacteria Fix Nitrogen in Proterozoic-Analogue Lake
A new study challenges the assumption that cyanobacteria were the only major nitrogen fixers in the Proterozoic eon.
Earthly Lava Tubes May Offer Insights into Extraterrestrial Life
New research finds that Actinobacteria in lava caves fix carbon and survive independent of surface inputs, offering a fresh perspective in the search for life beyond Earth.
Longer Days Likely Boosted Earth’s Early Oxygen
Microbial mats in a Lake Huron sinkhole, combined with modeling work, suggest that the changing length of Earth’s day could have played a key role in oxygenating the atmosphere.
Why Study Geysers?
Aside from captivating our senses, geysers have much to tell us about subsurface fluids, climate change effects, and the occurrence and limits of life on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system.
“Earth Cousins” Are New Targets for Planetary Materials Research
“Cousin” worlds—slightly bigger or slightly hotter than Earth—can help us understand planetary habitability, but we need more lab and numerical experiments to make the most of this opportunity.
Taking Stock of Cosmic Rays in the Solar System
Scientists seek to understand the elusive properties of stellar and galactic cosmic rays before searching for life on exoplanets.
Cloud-to-Ground Lightning May Have Struck a Key Ingredient for Life
On early Earth, rock created by lightning strikes to the ground likely held a form of phosphorus necessary for prebiotic chemistry.