Abstract:
An exoplanet's structure, composition and heat budget are first-order controls of the planet's habitability. First, I will discuss whether we'd classify the Earth as "Earth-like" if observed as an exoplanet given our current models. Next, I will present results of recent studies examining how mineral physics, geodynamics and observational astronomy inform our understanding of an exoplanet's potential habitability and likelihood of being "Earth-like."