Geology and Habitability of Terrestrial Planets

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-v

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2. Introduction: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Habitability

   • Kathryn E. Fishbaugh, David J. Des Marais, Oleg Korablev, Philippe Lognonne, François Raulin

   Pages 1-5

3. The Geology and Habitability of Terrestrial Planets: Fundamental Requirements for Life

   • G. Southam, L. J. Rothschild, F. Westall

   Pages 7-34

4. Emergence of a Habitable Planet

   • Kevin Zahnle, Nick Arndt, Charles Cockell, Alex Halliday, Euan Nisbet, Franck Selsis et al.

   Pages 35-78

5. Creating Habitable Zones, at all Scales, from Planets to Mud Micro-Habitats, on Earth and on Mars

   • Euan Nisbet, Kevin Zahnle, M. V. Gerasimov, Jörn Helbert, Ralf Jaumann, Beda A. Hofmann et al.

   Pages 79-121

6. Conversations on the Habitability of Worlds: The Importance of Volatiles

   • J. -L. Bertaux, M. Carr, D. J. Des Marais, E. Gaidos

   Pages 123-165

7. Water, Life, and Planetary Geodynamical Evolution

   • P. van Thienen, K. Benzerara, D. Breuer, C. Gillmann, S. Labrosse, P. Lognonné et al.

   Pages 167-203

8. Introduction to Chapter 6: Planetary/Sun Interactions

   • Helmut Lammer, Véronique Dehant, Oleg Korablev, Rickard Lundin

   Pages 205-206

9. A Comparative Study of the Influence of the Active Young Sun on the Early Atmospheres of Earth, Venus, and Mars

   • Yuri N. Kulikov, Helmut Lammer, Herbert I. M. Lichtenegger, Thomas Penz, Doris Breuer, Tilman Spohn et al.

   Pages 207-243

10. Planetary Magnetic Fields and Solar Forcing: Implications for Atmospheric Evolution

    • Rickard Lundin, Helmut Lammer, Ignasi Ribas

    Pages 245-278

11. Planetary Magnetic Dynamo Effect on Atmospheric Protection of Early Earth and Mars

    • V. Dehant, H. Lammer, Y. N. Kulikov, J. -M. Grießmeier, D. Breuer, O. Verhoeven et al.

    Pages 279-300

12. Epilogue: The Origins of Life in the Solar System and Future Exploration

    • Philippe Lognonne, David Des Marais, François Raulin, Kathryn Fishbaugh

    Pages 301-304

13. Back Matter

    Pages 305-306

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Given the fundamental importance of and universal interest in whether extraterrestrial life has developed or could eventually develop in our solar system and beyond, it is vital that an examination of planetary habitability go beyond simple assumptions such as, "Where there is water, there is life". This book has resulted from a workshop at the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern, Switzerland which brought together planetary geologists, geophysicists, atmospheric scientists and biologists to discuss the multi-faceted problem of how the habitability of a planet co-evolves with the geology of the surface and interior, the atmosphere, and the magnetosphere.

Each of the six chapters have been written by authors with a range of expertise so that each chapter is itself multi-disciplinary, comprehensive, and accessible to scientists in all disciplines. These chapters delve into what life needs to exist and ultimately to thrive, the early environments of the young terrestrial planets, the role of volatiles in habitability, currently habitable (but possibly not inhabited) geologic environments, the connection between a planet’s inner workings and the habitability of its surface, and the effects on planetary atmospheres of solar evolution and the presence or absence of a magnetosphere.

This book serves as an ideal reference for those planning missions that will hunt for biomarkers (especially on Mars), for biologists and geoscientists seeking the other side of the story, and for researchers and upper level students interested in an in-depth review of the geologic evolution of terrestrial planets, from their cores to their magnetospheres, and how that evolution shapes the habitability of the planetary surface.

• Extraterrestrial life
• Planet
• Solar System
• biomarkers
• conditions for life
• earth
• evolution
• habitable zones
• life on other planets
• magnetosphere
• planetary geology
• planetary habitability
• solar
• space science

From the reviews:

“This book presents a collection of very well written papers and essays on the Geology and Habitability of Terrestrial Planets. … the book is a true encyclopedia containing the best on this subject. … I strongly recommend you this book. The papers are easy to read and it is not difficult to understand the main questions and challenges on this area. It is a true masterpiece and will be a very nice acquisition to your personal library.” (Philosophy, Religion and Science Book Reviews, bookinspections.wordpress.com, December, 2013)

• International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern, Switzerland

  Kathryn E. Fishbaugh

• Equipe Etudies Spatiales et Planétologie (IPGP), Université de Paris VII, Saint Maur des Fossés, France

  Philippe Lognonné

• Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA, UMR CNRS), Université Paris VII et Paris XII, Créteil Cedex, France

  François Raulin

• NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, USA

  David J. Marais

• Russian Space Research Institute (IKI), Moscow, Russia

  Oleg Korablev

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