The latest news briefs from NASA science.
Earth is literally inclined to be habitable. After running 93 simulations, NASA-funded researchers have gained a clearer understanding of the parameters that make the orbits of Earth-like planets suitable for land-based lifeforms to thrive. The length of our planet’s day, the tilt of its axis, and other orbital parameters ensure that the seasons, sunlight, and temperatures […]
Drill core samples from a unique geological deposit in northeastern Namibia could reveal clues about fluctuations in marine redox conditions during the Neoproterozoic. The Hüttenberg formation shows a ‘stepwise pattern’ of oceanic oxygenation that occurred during this period of Earth’s history. The study also reveals local, and possibly global, environmental controls that resulted in features […]
A recent study examines the loss of volatile elements during magma ocean phases on planetary bodies. The work compares zinc (Zn) in basalts from the Earth and Moon. Zn is a a useful tracer for volatile elements because its abundance tends to be elevated in basalts on Earth. Concentrations of Zn in lunar basalts can […]
