2021 is the International Year of Caves and Karst (IYCK). To honor this occasion, we wish to emphasize the vast potential embodied in planetary subsurfaces. While researchers have pondered the possibility of extraterrestrial caves for more than 50 years, we have entered the incipient phase of planetary caves exploration. Caves are important because they provide records of a planetary body's history. On Mars, this may include evidence of past or even present microbial life. For the Moon and Mars, caves could protect human explorers from the harmful and inhospitable surface environment.
Titus, T.N., Wynne, J.J., Malaska, M.J., Agha-Mohammadi, A., Buhler, P.B., Alexander, E.C., et al. (2021). A roadmap for planetary caves science and exploration. NATURE ASTRONOMY, 5(6), 524-525 [10.1038/s41550-021-01385-1].
A roadmap for planetary caves science and exploration
De Waele, Jo;Sauro, Francesco;
2021
Abstract
2021 is the International Year of Caves and Karst (IYCK). To honor this occasion, we wish to emphasize the vast potential embodied in planetary subsurfaces. While researchers have pondered the possibility of extraterrestrial caves for more than 50 years, we have entered the incipient phase of planetary caves exploration. Caves are important because they provide records of a planetary body's history. On Mars, this may include evidence of past or even present microbial life. For the Moon and Mars, caves could protect human explorers from the harmful and inhospitable surface environment.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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2021 natura astronomy wynne et al Caves_Roadmap_v22b.pdf
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