Exploring Planetary Conditions
Planetary sciences focus on the geological, chemical, and physical processes that shape environmental conditions on early Earth, other planets, and moons, as well as seek to understand whether those conditions could support life. A key aspect of this work is to identify essential biosignatures to advance the understanding of our solar system—and those that lie beyond it.
Planetary sciences research in the Institute for Planets and Life (IPL) includes:
- Analyzing planetary atmospheres, including early Earth, Titan, Europa, and exoplanets, to understand how atmospheric chemistry affects the habitability of a planet
- Investigating the habitability of current or former ocean worlds (e.g., Mars, Europa, Enceladus, and Titan), including developing techniques to search for signs of extinct or extant life
- Long-term stability and survivability of the Earth over geological timescales
- Life under extreme conditions, including how organisms adapt to environmental conditions and the preservation of biosignatures
- Planetary magnetic fields and dynamo theory, and their effects on planetary atmosphere and habitability