Interior Controls on the Habitability of Rocky Planets

Abstract

No matter how fascinating and exotic other terrestrial planets are revealed to be, nothing generates more excitement than announcements regarding their habitability. From the observation of Mars to present-day efforts toward Venus and the characterization of exoplanets, the search for life, or at least environments that could accommodate life, has been a major drive for space exploration. So far, we have found no other unquestionably habitable world besides Earth. The conditions of the habitability of terrestrial planets have proved elusive, as surface conditions depend on the complex interplay of many processes throughout the evolution of a planet. Here, we review how the interior of a rocky planet can drive the evolution of its surface conditions and atmosphere. Instead of listing criteria assumed to be critical for life, we discuss how the bulk-silicate planet can affect the onset, continuation, and cessation of habitability. We then consider how it can be observed, and current efforts toward this end.