Universe: Planets Could Store More Water Than Thought

“Our model results for the planet’s interior challenge the previous idea of ​​watery worlds: most of the water balance (up to 95 percent) may be stored deep in the core and mantle rather than at the surface,” the researchers write in a paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy. StudyingDistant planets previously thought to be water-poor may actually be water-rich.

According to the researchers, the findings could have implications for the habitability of water-rich “super-Earths,” planets covered by a deep global ocean that are larger than Earth. “Even water-rich super-Earths may have the potential to develop Earth-like surface conditions,” they say. Previous studies have concluded that life is not possible on such planets.

According to a statement from ETH Zurich about the study, the motivation for the study was investigations into the Earth’s water content, which came to a surprising conclusion four years ago: the oceans on Earth’s surface contain only a small fraction of the total amount of water on our planet. It is possible that the contents of more than 80 of Earth’s oceans are hidden deep within the Earth.