Two -thirds of the Earth is an ocean that holds so many mysteries that we don’t know about. Not only the Earth, other worlds out there also have a sea that is no less amazing.
If the sea on Earth alone often makes us giggle in awe, imagine the sea on another planet whose contents and appearance are not water. In the Solar System, some planets have unique oceans, there are diamond seas to nuclear seas. The following is a summary as quoted from Listverse, Friday (15/10/2021):
1. The Diamond Sea on Neptune and Uranus
On the outer edge of the Solar System are two ice gas giant planets, Neptune and Uranus. Both have a sea of diamonds. Beneath the atmosphere, the two planets have mantles composed of water, ammonia, and methane ice.
Due to their enormous weight, their coats are under enormous pressure where temperatures range from 1,727 degrees Celsius to 4,727 degrees Celsius. Under these extreme conditions methane decomposes into its core components, producing pure carbon, which under extraordinary pressure forms diamonds.
The high pressure coupled with the great heat causes the diamond to completely melt, forming an ocean of diamonds towards the base of the coat. Just like water in its solid form floats on top of its liquid component, solid diamonds will float on top of liquid diamonds, which means there may be chunks of diamonds floating over the ocean.
There is even a theory that states that the diamond rain also occurred on Uranus. The existence of this sea has been hypothesized through experiments at Livermore National Laboratory, where scientists recreated the extreme conditions of a giant iceberg via laser, then melted the diamond into its liquid form.
2. Sea of Magma in Io
Io is a dwarf planet with many volcanic mountains in our Solar System. There are more than 400 volcanoes there, so its surface is constantly disturbed by eruptions and lava flows.
Hard and frequent volcanic activity forms an ocean of magma located 50 kilometers below the surface. Oceans of magma are stored in a liquid state through two methods of heat generation, one of which involves the strange orbit of Io.
Located between Jupiter and the two Galilean moons, Europa and Ganymede, Io's orbit is distorted into an elliptical shape, which means it is sometimes closer to Jupiter for part of its orbit. Due to the gravitational pull of the planet, the surface of Io protrudes in and out to a height of 100 meters.
It is this tidal pumping that produces large amounts of heat inside the Io, thus keeping the ocean of magma in a molten state while continuing to trigger volcanic eruptions on its surface.
3. Enceladus Underground Sea on Saturn
In the south polar region of the planet Saturn there is a surface full of cryovolcanic activity that spews about 250 kilograms of water vapor every second.
Most of this water vapor falls back to the surface, while others escape beyond Saturn. Analysts also found the presence of sodium salts in ice cubes, just like the type of salt in seawater.
In a research mission to Saturn, scientists confirmed the existence of the ocean by detecting water gravitational signals. The team of scientists was able to detect the presence of the ocean below the surface with a fairly massive volume.
Not only the underground sea called Enceladus which consists of liquid water, also found organic compounds of sodium salts in the spray of water vapor at the poles of the planet. The findings raise the possibility that living things can survive with the core ingredients of life.
4. Underground Sea at Ceres
NASA researchers have discovered the possibility of liquid matter on Ceres. This dwarf planet with a diameter of only 950 kilometers keeps the sea beneath the mud on its surface.
Above the core of Ceres is thought to be a layer of ice. Some time ago, researchers also found bright objects in the large crater of Ceres with a diameter of about 80 kilometers. Some scientists speculate that a point called "Feature 5" on the planet could be an indication of an underground ocean below its surface.
5. The Hydrogen Sea on Jupiter
Beneath a 50 -kilometer -thick layer of clouds on the planet Jupiter, lies an ocean of liquid hydrogen. This sea is also the largest ocean in the Solar System based on its volume.
Measuring up to 78% of the total radius of the planet Jupiter, this sea of hydrogen has a depth of up to 54,531 kilometers. With atmospheric pressure up to 100 million times the atmospheric pressure on Earth, hydrogen on the planet can melt to form oceans. Therefore, the planet Jupiter is home to the largest ocean with the most extreme conditions in the Solar System.
6. Nuclear Sea on Pluto
Pluto is thought to store a nuclear ocean below its surface. With surface temperatures reaching -230 degrees Celsius, it is impossible for there to be liquid on Pluto's surface.
But researchers say that the nucleus of Pluto consists of radioactive elements, especially uranium, potassium-40, and thorium. When this element undergoes radioactive decay, then the combination will release enough heat to keep the water in a liquid state. So, although Pluto's surface may be below freezing, there is a possibility of a nuclear ocean beneath it.
7. Ocean of Hell in Alpha Centauri
The dwarf planet Alpha Centauri, located about 4.2 light -years from the Sun, is an uninhabitable zone. The planet's surface temperature is around 1,200 degrees Celsius, almost three times hotter than Venus's surface, which is the hottest surface temperature in the Solar System's planetary range.
This high temperature will cause the rocks to melt completely to cover the surface of the planet. That is, it is absolutely impossible to find life there. Therefore, the liquid in Alpha Centauri is called the ocean of hell.