The Lunar cratering record is consistent with the occurrence of a late heavy bombardment (LHB), which marked the end of terrestrial planet accretion 3.8 billion years ago. However, clear evidence of a LHB on Earth has not yet been identified. Based on a volatile budget of the terrestrial mantle, the atmosphere and hydrosphere we propose that the LHB did indeed occur on Earth and that we are bre...

A breeding vectors approach is used to study the intrinsic predictability of the Martian atmosphere using the Oxford Mars General Circulation Model (MGCM). The approach, described in detail below, is first tested using a terrestrial general circulation model, the United Kingdom Meteorological Office’s Unified Model (UM), and results show growing modes of instability at mid to high latitudes on ...

Aeronomy is, by definition, a multidisciplinary science which can be used to study the terrestrial atmosphere, as well as any planetary atmosphere and even the interplanetary space. It was officially recognized in 1954 by the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. The major objective of the present paper is to show how aeronomy developed since its infancy. The subject is so large that a...

ence; these are separated by contact with terrestrial objects? little or not at all by the atmosphere. Now, solar heat differs from that produced by ordinary combustion in various respects, and especially in the fact that it permeates glass and certain substances, which effectually stop terrestrial heat; nevertheless, certain bodies appear to possess tlicf property of transmitting all kinds of ...

Grand challenges in global change research and environmental science raise the need for replicated experiments on ecosystems subjected to controlled changes in multiple environmental factors. We designed and developed the Ecolab as a variable climate and atmosphere simulator for multifactor experimentation on natural or artificial ecosystems. The Ecolab integrates atmosphere conditioning techno...

Terrestrial-like exoplanets may obtain atmospheres from three primary sources: capture of nebular gases, degassing during accretion, and degassing from subsequent tectonic activity. Here we model degassing during accretion to estimate the range of atmospheric mass and composition on exoplanets ranging from 1 to 30 Earth masses. We use bulk compositions drawn from primitive and differentiated me...

The terrestrial biosphere is thought to be a key component in the climatic variability seen in the palaeorecord. It has a direct impact on surface temperature through changes in surface albedo and evapotranspiration (so-called biogeophysical effects) and, in addition, has an important indirect effect through changes in vegetation and soil carbon storage (biogeochemical effects) and hence modula...

Once elemental mercury (Hg) enters the atmosphere, it may be globally distributed because of the fact that this form is relatively inert and recycled between terrestrial and aquatic surfaces. Terrestrial ecosystems may be sources, as well as shortand long-term sinks, for atmospheric Hg. Understanding whether an ecosystem is a source or sink and the magnitude of associated flux is critical for d...