Habitable Environments Research Articles

Application of additive manufacturing in developing smoke and flame detectors for a habitable microgravity environment

Application of additive manufacturing in developing smoke and flame detectors for a habitable microgravity environment

Ice? Salt? Pressure? Sediment deformation structures as evidence of late-stage shallow groundwater in Gale crater, Mars

Persistence of near-surface water during the late evolution of Gale crater, Mars, would have been fundamental for maintaining a habitable environment. Sedimentation in aqueous conditions is evident during the early stages of crater infilling, where accumulation of lower Mount Sharp group strata is characterized by fluviolacustrine sedimentary rocks. The basal unit of the Siccar Point group—the Stimson formation—which unconformably overlies the Mount Sharp group and represents conditions postdating the exhumation of Aeolis Mons, is characterized by accumulation of aeolian strata under arid conditions. Water was largely absent near the surface during its deposition. At the Feòrachas outcrop, discovery of soft sediment deformation structures in aeolian Stimson strata challenges the notion that Gale crater was devoid of water during its later depositional phase. We identified deformed wind-rippled and vertically laminated sandstones, hosted within erosion-resistant ridges forming boxwork patterns. Broadly, these structures are diagnostic of water (as liquid or as ice) in the shallow subsurface. Comparison with Earth analogues suggests formation by subsurface fluid escape, freeze-thaw processes, or evaporite deformation. Regardless of the mechanism, these structures signify the presence of water at or near the surface much later than previously documented and may extend the habitability window in Gale crater.

Ammonium-rich bright areas on Ceres demonstrate complex chemical activity

The dwarf planet Ceres has been proven to be a world with an extraordinary diversity of chemical species formed in aqueous environments. Dantu crater, being one of the largest and deepest impact craters on Ceres, offers valuable insights into the geological history and composition of this enigmatic world. Its particular position, within a topographic low, can be considered a window into the composition of Ceres’s subsurface. One of the intriguing aspects of Dantu is the presence of several bright areas called “faculae”. These bright materials, distributed unevenly on the Cerean surface, are believed to be residua from salty fluids, likely still circulating in the subsurface and capable to extrude onto the surface, as demonstrated by the identification of fresh hydrohalite (NaCl·2(H2O)) on the bright faculae in another exceptional crate, Occator. The detailed investigation of the Dantu’s faculae reveals the presence of at least two different “populations” of bright materials, compositionally distinct even if in close geographical proximity. These faculae appear different, white and yellow, in the color images (RGB: R = 0.917 μm, G = 0.653 μm, B = 0.438 μm) taken by the Dawn camera. The spectra show that the first population -white- is mainly composed of sodium carbonate, similar to other identified bright areas on Ceres; the second one -yellow- is likely dominated by ammonium-rich components. The spectra of the yellow faculae show specific and clear bands, associated to ammonium bearing phases, but the exact species producing such spectral features are not unambiguously identified. A potential candidate is ammonium bicarbonates, but we cannot exclude other compounds and combinations of different species. Other occurrences of these yellow faculae have been identified in a few other areas, even if less numerous and with a much smaller extent with respect to the Dantu crater. The discovery of a very bright component different from the carbonates and salts previously identified increases the variety and complexity of the salty aqueous solutions on Ceres, offering tantalizing clues about the potential for habitable environments and subsurface fluid reservoirs on this dwarf planet.

Chapter 7: Assessing Habitability Beyond Earth.

All known life on Earth inhabits environments that maintain conditions between certain extremes of temperature, chemical composition, energy availability, and so on (Chapter 6). Life may have emerged in similar environments elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond. The ongoing search for life elsewhere mainly focuses on those environments most likely to support life, now or in the past-that is, potentially habitable environments. Discussion of habitability is necessarily based on what we know about life on Earth, as it is our only example. This chapter gives an overview of the known and presumed requirements for life on Earth and discusses how these requirements can be used to assess the potential habitability of planetary bodies across the Solar System and beyond. We first consider the chemical requirements of life and potential feedback effects that the presence of life can have on habitable conditions, and then the planetary, stellar, and temporal requirements for habitability. We then review the state of knowledge on the potential habitability of bodies across the Solar System and exoplanets, with a particular focus on Mars, Venus, Europa, and Enceladus. While reviewing the case for the potential habitability of each body, we summarize the most prominent and impactful studies that have informed the perspective on where habitable environments are likely to be found.

Is it selfish to be filamentous in biofilms? Individual-based modeling links microbial growth strategies with morphology using the new and modular iDynoMiCS 2.0.

Microbial communities are found in all habitable environments and often occur in assemblages with self-organized spatial structures developing over time. This complexity can only be understood, predicted, and managed by combining experiments with mathematical modeling. Individual-based models are particularly suited if individual heterogeneity, local interactions, and adaptive behavior are of interest. Here we present the completely overhauled software platform, the individual-based Dynamics of Microbial Communities Simulator, iDynoMiCS 2.0, which enables researchers to specify a range of different models without having to program. Key new features and improvements are: (1) Substantially enhanced ease of use (graphical user interface, editor for model specification, unit conversions, data analysis and visualization and more). (2) Increased performance and scalability enabling simulations of up to 10 million agents in 3D biofilms. (3) Kinetics can be specified with any arithmetic function. (4) Agent properties can be assembled from orthogonal modules for pick and mix flexibility. (5) Force-based mechanical interaction framework enabling attractive forces and non-spherical agent morphologies as an alternative to the shoving algorithm. The new iDynoMiCS 2.0 has undergone intensive testing, from unit tests to a suite of increasingly complex numerical tests and the standard Benchmark 3 based on nitrifying biofilms. A second test case was based on the "biofilms promote altruism" study previously implemented in BacSim because competition outcomes are highly sensitive to the developing spatial structures due to positive feedback between cooperative individuals. We extended this case study by adding morphology to find that (i) filamentous bacteria outcompete spherical bacteria regardless of growth strategy and (ii) non-cooperating filaments outcompete cooperating filaments because filaments can escape the stronger competition between themselves. In conclusion, the new substantially improved iDynoMiCS 2.0 joins a growing number of platforms for individual-based modeling of microbial communities with specific advantages and disadvantages that we discuss, giving users a wider choice.

A Study on the Relationship between Community Participation and the Improvement of Slum Settlement Quality in Medan City, Indonesia

This study explores the intricate relationship between community participation and the improvement of slum settlement quality in Area 33 of Belawan II Sub-District, Medan Belawan, Indonesia. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, revealing a significant correlation between environmental cleanliness, community participation, and the quality of slum settlements. The findings indicate that poor drainage conditions, exacerbated by waste blockages leading to stagnant water, and low community participation, driven by a lack of awareness and minimal involvement in environmental initiatives, critically impede the advancement of slum settlement conditions. Through the implementation of socialization and education programs, a notable increase in community awareness and engagement in environmental management has been observed, suggesting these as pivotal strategies for enhancing slum settlement quality. The study identifies the utilization of available land and the maximization of community participation as essential strategies to mitigate threats such as flooding and disease outbreaks. A SWOT analysis conducted within the study underscores the importance of prioritizing educational programs, community participation enhancement, and optimal land use to create sustainable and habitable environments. The conclusion emphasizes that despite the low level of community participation affecting settlement quality, significant opportunities for improvement exist. The study recommends government-community collaboration and the adoption of educational initiatives to foster environmental conditions conducive to community well-being in slum settlements. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by demonstrating that informed community involvement is crucial for addressing local environmental challenges and enhancing slum settlement quality.

Adaptation of buildings to climate change: an overview

Buildings worldwide have evolved based on local resources and skills, evolving form and orientation to ensure a productive and comfortable indoor environment. Traditional habitations rely on passive climate-responsive mechanisms and physiological resilience. At the same time, contemporary buildings rely increasingly on active mechanisms for fine-tuned convenience and comfort. Those buildings are becoming less habitable due to climate change. This paper presents an overview of research into climate-responsive building adaptation, identifying various factors determining a building’s ability to regulate external climatic conditions in providing a habitable indoor environment. The review covers the ability of occupants to manage their thermal environment and adaptation mechanisms, including various adaptation strategies attributed to climate change. Besides a review of relevant research tools and methodologies, the paper also identifies future research challenges. Those challenges include but are not limited to evaluating climate classification provided by building standards given climate change, the need for region-specific climate-change vulnerability assessment of the built environment to develop specific adaptation strategies, a survey of vernacular structures to understand their inherent adaptation capacities, developing a framework to study building adaptation, etc. Thus, this review opens the possibility of further research in building adaptation.

Origin of Phobos and Deimos Awaiting Direct Exploration

Two major hypotheses have been proposed for the origin of the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos: the in situ formation theory, supported by the fact that they have circular orbits nearly parallel to the Martian equator, and the asteroid capture theory, supported by the similarity of their reflectance spectra to those of carbonaceous asteroids. Regarding the in situ formation theory, recent theoretical studies have focused on the huge impact scenario, which proposes that debris ejected into orbits during the formation of a giant impact basin on Mars accumulated to form the Martian moons. On the other hand, gas drag from a Martian gas envelope composed of gravitationally attracted solar nebula gas has been proposed as a mechanism for trapping the approaching asteroidal objects in areocentric orbits. In particular, an object entering a temporarily captured orbit in the Martian gravitational sphere would easily evolve into a fully captured moon with a near-equatorial orbit under realistic gas densities. The upcoming Phobos sample return mission is expected to elucidate the origin of both moons, with implications for material transport in the early Solar System and the early evolution of Mars. ▪The origin of Mars' small moons, Phobos and Deimos, has long been an open question.▪The leading hypotheses are asteroid capture, inferred from their appearance like primitive asteroids, and giant impact, implied by the regularity of their orbits.▪The origin of Phobos will be precisely determined by a sample return mission to be conducted in the late 2020s to early 2030s.▪Determining the origin of the Martian moons will provide clues to clarifying how the parent planet Mars formed and came to have a habitable surface environment.

Biological functions at high pressure: transcriptome response of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 to hydrostatic pressure relevant to Titan and other icy ocean worlds.

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a key driver of life's evolution and diversification on Earth. Icy moons such as Titan, Europa, and Enceladus harbor potentially habitable high-pressure environments within their subsurface oceans. Titan, in particular, is modeled to have subsurface ocean pressures ≥ 150 MPa, which are above the highest pressures known to support life on Earth in natural ecosystems. Piezophiles are organisms that grow optimally at pressures higher than atmospheric (0.1 MPa) pressure and have specialized adaptations to the physical constraints of high-pressure environments - up to ~110 MPa at Challenger Deep, the highest pressure deep-sea habitat explored. While non-piezophilic microorganisms have been shown to survive short exposures at Titan relevant pressures, the mechanisms of their survival under such conditions remain largely unelucidated. To better understand these mechanisms, we have conducted a study of gene expression for Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 using a high-pressure experimental culturing system. MR-1 was subjected to short-term (15 min) and long-term (2 h) HHP of 158 MPa, a value consistent with pressures expected near the top of Titan's subsurface ocean. We show that MR-1 is metabolically active in situ at HHP and is capable of viable growth following 2 h exposure to 158 MPa, with minimal pressure training beforehand. We further find that MR-1 regulates 264 genes in response to short-term HHP, the majority of which are upregulated. Adaptations include upregulation of the genes argA, argB, argC, and argF involved in arginine biosynthesis and regulation of genes involved in membrane reconfiguration. MR-1 also utilizes stress response adaptations common to other environmental extremes such as genes encoding for the cold-shock protein CspG and antioxidant defense related genes. This study suggests Titan's ocean pressures may not limit life, as microorganisms could employ adaptations akin to those demonstrated by terrestrial organisms.

Eccentricity Distribution beyond the Snow Line and Implications for Planetary Habitability

A fundamental question in the study of planetary system demographics is: how common is the solar system architecture? The primary importance of this question lies in the potential of planetary systems to create habitable environments, and dissecting the various components of solar system evolution that contributed to a sustainable temperate surface for Earth. One important factor in that respect is volatile delivery to the inner system and the dependence on giant planets beyond the snow line as scattering agents, particularly as such cold giant planets are relatively rare. Here, we provide an investigation of the eccentricity distribution for giant planet populations both interior and exterior to their system snow lines. We show that the median eccentricity for cold giants is 0.23, compared with a far more circular orbital regime for inner planets. We further present the results of a dynamical simulation that explores the particle scattering potential for a Jupiter analog in comparison with a Jupiter whose eccentricity matches that of the median cold giant eccentricity. These simulations demonstrate that the capacity for such an eccentric cold giant system to scatter volatiles interior to the snow line is significantly increased compared with the Jupiter analog case, resulting in a far greater volume of Earth-crossing volatiles. Thus, many of the known systems with cold giant planets may harbor water worlds interior to the snow line.

Fate of an Earth‐Like Water Inventory on Mars

AbstractWe have determined the global inventory of surface and near‐surface water on Mars by tracking the amounts of water lost to each of the significant sinks for water. The sinks include loss to space, formation of hydrated minerals, possible remnants of an ancient ocean, water present within the crust, and the present‐day polar caps and near‐surface ice deposits; we utilize both previous analyses and new analyses of the amount of water in the sinks. Summed up, they total 380–970 m H2O (as a global equivalent layer), and possibly up to 685–1,970 m if possible crustal liquid water or ice is included. For comparison, the Earth's surface and near‐surface inventory, scaled to Mars, would be 1,400 m. This value for an Earth‐like Mars falls within the range of possible values for Mars, suggesting that Mars had a similar surface inventory of surface and near‐surface water. This abundance of water on early Mars is able to produce the observed water‐related geological features and suggests the presence of an early habitable environment capable of supporting life.

Organic Input to Titan's Subsurface Ocean Through Impact Cratering.

Titan has an organic-rich atmosphere and surface with a subsurface liquid water ocean that may represent a habitable environment. In this work, we determined the amount of organic material that can be delivered from Titan's surface to its ocean through impact cratering. We assumed that Titan's craters produce impact melt deposits composed of liquid water that can founder in its lower-density ice crust and estimated the amount of organic molecules that could be incorporated into these melt lenses. We used known yields for HCN and Titan haze hydrolysis to determine the amount of glycine produced in the melt lenses and found a range of possible flux rates of glycine from the surface to the subsurface ocean. These ranged from 0 to 1011 mol/Gyr for HCN hydrolysis and from 0 to 1014 mol/Gyr for haze hydrolysis. These fluxes suggest an upper limit for biomass productivity of ∼103 kgC/year from a glycine fermentation metabolism. This upper limit is significantly less than recent estimates of the hypothetical biomass production supported by Enceladus's subsurface ocean. Unless biologically available compounds can be sourced from Titan's interior, or be delivered from the surface by other mechanisms, our calculations suggest that even the most organic-rich ocean world in the Solar System may not be able to support a large biosphere.

Enhancing the E-Vehicle Battery Power by Widdey Circuit

The charging time required for accurate and environmentally friendly propagation has been the most pressing concern with purchasing electric vehicles. The main motive of our paper is to reduce the charging time (like to convey: Eliminates the charging time), it can be achieved by using our Project “WIDDEY” circuit, which acts as a power source for the vehicle to work. The charging required for WIDDEY is the ratio of 1:5000. A democratic country has the responsibility to develop their citizen’s comfort as their main concern and confirm that all the area is in a habitable environment, for these the fossil fuel vehicles play a crucial role in depleting the environment. Both developing and developed nations should ensure the citizens’ health from avoidable pollution, for these E-Vehicles have the best ways to reduce the noise, air, and carbon pollution in the environment. A question may arise “Is that E-Vehicle a zero-polluted vehicle that doesn’t emit any pollution?”, it concluded with an answer NO. E-vehicles also produce some kind of pollution at the rate of 0.002%, significantly less than the pollution emitted by fossil fuel-related vehicles.

Late drainage along portions of Samara Valles, West of Jones Crater, Margaritifer Terra, Mars

Relatively pristine valley segments along medial-to-distal Samara Valles in Margaritifer Terra likely originate within the continuous ejecta west of the Late-Hesperian Jones impact crater. Valley expression between a ~ 46 km3 upper basin and a ~ 7 km3 lower basin is typically well-incised with smooth walls and a relatively uniform width-to-depth, but elsewhere varies from well-incised to diffuse and some segments appear anastomosing or truncate one another. Many are more than a kilometer across and 100 s of meters deep and display interior terraces and depositional forms. More pristine segments continue north and are associated with finely layered, alternating dark- and light-toned deposits well beyond Jones ejecta. Basins are approximately bound by the −1275 m MOLA contour and the upper basin displays benches and partially filled craters near and below that elevation. Lower interior surfaces of the upper basin are not incised, expose relatively light-toned discontinuous deposits, include polygonal fractures, and are locally Mg/Fe phyllosilicate-bearing. We interpret the formation of the relatively pristine segments as the result of water from impact-melted ice in and under the Jones ejecta draining westward, with some filling the upper basin. Water accumulated over a period of months to years before overtopping the divide and draining at rates perhaps on order of 104 m3s−1 before filling and overwhelming the lower basin and breaching two additional local divides. Drainage persisted for a period of years at most and then ceased. If correct, our model indicates a geologically brief interval of transient potentially habitable environments relatively late in Mars history that was likely unrelated to global climate.

URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA: A REVIEW OF LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

The presence of urban rivers poses significant challenges for local authorities in their efforts to create sustainable and habitable urbanriver environments. This situation has led to various repercussions for the health of urban river ecosystems. To mitigate these issues,it is imperative that development projects’ environmental impacts are effectively managed by the relevant authorities, ensuring thesustainability of urban development and urbanization. It is worth emphasizing that in environmentally sensitive areas, particularly when planning large projects, the consideration of environmental factors should be a top priority. As such, this discussion will focus on how local planning authorities in the country devise strategies to address the challenges associated with urban river development projects.

Comparative genomics of the extremophile Cryomyces antarcticus and other psychrophilic Dothideomycetes.

Over a billion years of fungal evolution has enabled representatives of this kingdom to populate almost all parts of planet Earth and to adapt to some of its most uninhabitable environments including extremes of temperature, salinity, pH, water, light, or other sources of radiation. Cryomyces antarcticus is an endolithic fungus that inhabits rock outcrops in Antarctica. It survives extremes of cold, humidity and solar radiation in one of the least habitable environments on Earth. This fungus is unusual because it produces heavily melanized, meristematic growth and is thought to be haploid and asexual. Due to its growth in the most extreme environment, it has been suggested as an organism that could survive on Mars. However, the mechanisms it uses to achieve its extremophilic nature are not known. Comparative genomics can provide clues to the processes underlying biological diversity, evolution, and adaptation. This effort has been greatly facilitated by the 1000 Fungal Genomes project and the JGI MycoCosm portal where sequenced genomes have been assembled into phylogenetic and ecological groups representing different projects, lifestyles, ecologies, and evolutionary histories. Comparative genomics within and between these groups provides insights into fungal adaptations, for example to extreme environmental conditions. Here, we analyze two Cryomyces genomes in the context of additional psychrophilic fungi, as well as non-psychrophilic fungi with diverse lifestyles selected from the MycoCosm database. This analysis identifies families of genes that are expanded and contracted in Cryomyces and other psychrophiles and may explain their extremophilic lifestyle. Higher GC contents of genes and of bases in the third positions of codons may help to stabilize DNA under extreme conditions. Numerous smaller contigs in C. antarcticus suggest the presence of an alternative haplotype that could indicate the sequenced isolate is diploid or dikaryotic. These analyses provide a first step to unraveling the secrets of the extreme lifestyle of C. antarcticus.

Addressing climate-induced migration: Challenges and opportunities in EU’s legal and policy framework

Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing, unresolved concerns in the 21st century, which as of the moment still lacks a definite resolution. Whilst the ecological threats do exist well within the public consciousness, a new foe has been born as the result of the same: the issue of climate-induced migration. The adverse effects of climate change, be it droughts or flooding, have left several communities all over the world scrambling to abandon the very place they call home. The victims are left to embark on a search for safer and more habitable environments to begin their lives anew. This has given rise to an increasing humanitarian crisis, but not due to war, persecution, or political instability; but due to ever-worsening ecological concerns which the entire planet is increasingly reeling from. Valuable support efforts by the international community non-withstanding, these “climate migrants”, still lack the necessary legal status and comprehensive protection within the current legal framework of the European Union (EU). Their efforts to gain asylum are being thwarted by a legal system, which as of now, is woefully under-equipped to handle the same. The study attempts to expand the conversation in this regard, by conducting doctrinal research on the present gaps in the existing international and new EU legal frameworks related to asylum and refugees. With the help of case studies in the Asia-Pacific region, the paper critically assesses the same, contributing valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on climate-induced migration and advocating for a more inclusive and adaptive legal framework to ensure the protection of the rights of climate migrants.

Evidence of Sulfate‐Rich Fluid Alteration in Jezero Crater Floor, Mars

AbstractSulfur plays a major role in martian geochemistry and sulfate minerals are important repositories of water. However, their hydration states on Mars are poorly constrained. Therefore, understanding the hydration and distribution of sulfate minerals on Mars is important for understanding its geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric evolution as well as its habitability potential. NASA's Perseverance rover is currently exploring the Noachian‐age Jezero crater, which hosts a fan‐delta system associated with a paleolake. The crater floor includes two igneous units (the Séítah and Máaz formations), both of which contain evidence of later alteration by fluids including sulfate minerals. Results from the rover instruments Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemistry and Planetary Instrument for X‐ray Lithochemistry reveal the presence of a mix of crystalline and amorphous hydrated Mg‐sulfate minerals (both MgSO4·[3–5]H2O and possible MgSO4·H2O), and anhydrous Ca‐sulfate minerals. The sulfate phases within each outcrop may have formed from single or multiple episodes of water activity, although several depositional events seem likely for the different units in the crater floor. Textural and chemical evidence suggest that the sulfate minerals most likely precipitated from a low temperature sulfate‐rich fluid of moderate pH. The identification of approximately four waters puts a lower constraint on the hydration state of sulfate minerals in the shallow subsurface, which has implications for the martian hydrological budget. These sulfate minerals are key samples for future Mars sample return.

Calibration of Raman Bandwidths on the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) Deep Ultraviolet Raman and Fluorescence Instrument Aboard the Perseverance Rover.

In this work, we derive a simple method for calibrating Raman bandwidths for the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument onboard NASA's Perseverance rover. Raman bandwidths and shapes reported by an instrument contain contributions from both the intrinsic Raman band (IRB) and instrumental artifacts. To directly correlate bandwidth to sample properties and to compare bandwidths across instruments, the IRB width needs to be separated from instrumental effects. Here, we use the ubiquitous bandwidth calibration method of modeling the observed Raman bands as a convolution of a Lorentzian IRB and a Gaussian instrument slit function. Using calibration target data, we calculate that SHERLOC has a slit function width of 34.1 cm-1. With a measure of the instrument slit function, we can deconvolve the IRB from the observed band, providing the width of the Raman band unobscured by instrumental artifact. We present the correlation between observed Raman bandwidth and intrinsic Raman bandwidth in table form for the quick estimation of SHERLOC Raman intrinsic bandwidths. We discuss the limitations of using this model to calibrate Raman bandwidth and derive a quantitative method for calculating the errors associated with the calibration. We demonstrate the utility of this method of bandwidth calibration by examining the intrinsic bandwidths of SHERLOC sulfate spectra and by modeling the SHERLOC spectrum of olivine.

Analysis of Livable Cities Regarding Housing Affordability, Environmental Quality and Public Transport

A habitable environment is required for the economy. This necessitates that the economies have the most affordable housing, the highest environmental standards, and the finest public transportation. These parameters must be better defined in the majority of developing economies. However, developed economies have improved housing affordability, environmental quality, and public transportation. The paper illustrates the affordability of accommodation, environmental quality, and public transport in both developed and developing economies through a review of the relevant literature. To achieve this objective, the studyinvestigatesthe cities based on their success in terms of housing affordability, environmental quality, and public transportation. The significance of the study lies in the fact that it demonstrates that, despite the fact that developed cities possess affordable housing and environmental qualities, they still require refinement to be livable. Moreover, despite the fact that the developing cities of China have the finest public transport in the world, China and India still have room for improvement in this area. This further demonstrates that developed and developing economies should take macroeconomic parameters significantly into account in order to make their cities habitable.