#Ocean Circulation Might Be the Key to Finding Habitable Exoplanets

Issued by Universe Today

The habitable zone defines a region around a star that could contain liquid water, but that doesn't mean a planet in that region actually has life on it. Researchers think that the size and quantity of oceans on a world, as well as how that water circulates around might have a role to play. In a recent study, researchers simulated different kinds of planetary oceans and found some interesting possibilities. For example, a planet that rotates more slowly than Earth might have higher surface pressure, saltier oceans and might even have more photosynthetic life than Earth. And if that life is at the surface, it might be detectable.

Ocean Circulation Might Be the Key to Finding Habitable Exoplanets