How Do Planets Work?

Many physical, chemical, and geological processes produce chemical clues of a planet's environment that we could detect in its atmosphere from afar using powerful NASA observatories. But detecting a planet's chemical traits is only part of the equation. The other part is interpreting what these traits can tell us. For example, methane is a potential "biosignature," which is a chemical clue of life. But the gas can also be released into a planet's atmosphere by geological processes. SEEC researchers are working on tools that will help NASA assess whether chemical signatures detected through remote observations are produced by life or not. This work involves sophisticated modeling of important planetary processes, including global atmospheric circulation, photochemistry, top-of-atmosphere escape, hydrological cycles, volcanism, outgassing, and climate.

Related Themes: Astrobiology, Habitability, and Biosignatures; Atmospheric Composition, Dynamics, and Clouds; Exoplanet Interiors and Atmospheric Interaction; Exoplanet Formation and Dynamics