Martin Van Kranendonk

For the first time, astronomers have found life-supporting molecules called phosphates on Enceladus

16 Jun 2023

Phosphorus is the most elusive element crucial for life as we know it – and we now have the first evidence there’s some available in the oceans of Enceladus.

Maluku earthquake: why do some ocean earthquakes cause tsunamis while others don't?

11 Jan 2023

Earthquakes originating underneath the ocean are often accompanied by tsunami warnings. Here’s what determines the tsunami risk.

The story of Earth and the question no scientist ever asked

28 Apr 2021

The planet's evolution and ‘microbial poop’ were just some of the wide ranging topics US mineralogist Dr Robert Hazen covered at the UNSW Centre for Ideas event last night.

Perseverance rover’s search for life on Mars: from the outback to the red planet

19 Feb 2021

As NASA’s Perseverance rover lands on Mars, UNSW is playing a key role in the search for life on the red planet. In July 2019, Professor Martin Van Kranendonk took a team of NASA and European Space Agency scientists to the Pilbara, in the Western Australian outback.

If there is life on Venus, how could it have got there? Origin of life experts explain

22 Sep 2020

Considering what we know about the key ingredients for life's formation on Earth, here are three explanations for how this process may have occurred on our sister planet.

Building blocks for life on Earth got here much later than we thought, billion-year-old rocks show

12 Mar 2020

Ancient rocks from Greenland have shown that the elements necessary for the evolution of life did not come to Earth until very late in the planet’s formation – much later than previously thought.

Earliest signs of life: scientists find microbial remains in ancient rocks

26 Sep 2019

Western Australia’s famous 3.5-billion-year-old stromatolites contain microbial remains of some of the earliest life on Earth, UNSW scientists have found.

NASA and European Space Agency join UNSW in outback for training crucial for Mars 2020 missions

02 Sep 2019

UNSW scientists have shown a group of Mars specialists the secrets of the remote Pilbara's ancient rocks - all in preparation for NASA's and ESA's Mars 2020 missions.

Searching for signs of ancient life

30 Aug 2019

UNSW scientists - led by Professor Martin van Kranendonk - have shown a group of Mars specialists the secrets of the remote Pilbara's ancient rocks - all in preparation for NASA's and ESA's Mars 2020 missions.

Life on Earth - and Mars?

14 Aug 2017

The discovery of a piece of geyserite found in hot springs environment has changed our thinking our thinking about the origins of life on earth - and has implications for the search for life on Mars.

Martin Van Kranendonk

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