Planets could be richer in water than thought, study finds

Distant planets could contain much more water than thought, albeit hidden deep inside rather than on the surface, according to a study with Swiss participation.

Until now, scientists have assumed that water on planets is mainly found on their surfaces. A study published on Tuesday in Nature Astronomy, in which a researcher from the federal technology institute ETH Zurich was involved, shows that this is not the case.

“The results of our model for the planet’s interior call into question the previous idea of water worlds: most of the water (even more than 95%) can be stored deep in the core and in mantle and not on the surface,” wrote the researchers, led by Caroline Dorn. Distant planets which were previously thought to be water-poor could therefore actually be rich in water.

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According to the researchers, the results could have implications for the habitability of so-called water-rich Super-Earths, i.e. planets whose surface is covered by a deep, global ocean and which are larger than Earth.

“Even water-rich Super-Earths could have the potential to develop Earth-like surface conditions,” the researchers wrote. Previous studies had come to the conclusion that life on such planets is not possible.

According to an ETH Zurich press release, the study was triggered by investigations into the Earth’s water content, which came to a surprising conclusion four years ago: oceans on the Earth’s surface contain only a small proportion of the total amount of water on our planet. The contents of more than 80 oceans could be hidden in the Earth’s interior.

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Translated from German by DeepL/dos

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