The use of the Earth’s volcanic record in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Convenors

J. Martínez Frías   Centro de Astrobiología   CSIC/INTA   Ctra de Ajalvir, km. 4   28850 - Torrejón de Ardoz,   Madrid,   Spain.   Email: martinezfj@inta.es J. A. Rodríguez Losada   Departamento de Edafología y Geología,   Universidad de La Laguna,   Av. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n,   38206 - La Laguna (Tenerife),   Canary Islands,   Spain.   Email: jrlosada@ull.es A. Eff-Darwich (adarwich@iac.es)   Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias,   C/ Vía Láctea s/n,   38205 - La Laguna (Tenerife),   Canary Islands,   Spain.   Email: adarwich@iac.es

Description

There is much evidence that indicates that "geological vitality" of a planet has played a fundamental role in the development and evolution of "life". Thus, it is crucial to understand the multiple relationships, in space and time, between volcanism and habitability at different scales and under different scenarios. The multidisciplinary study of the Earth’s volcanic record represents an "opportunity to learn", providing indicators which are being taken into account in astrobiological studies.