Life in exotic water worlds?Exotic water worlds

How life-friendly is an ocean deeper than on Earth?

Lena Noack, Dennis Höning, Helmut Lammer and Jan H. Bredehöft

1 May 2014 EGU Press Conference

„Fingerprints of life: from the early Earth to outer space“

Ocean Planets

Water is needed for life (habitable zone)

BUT: Is more water even better for life?

NO!

Water or Ice?

1) Entirely liquid ocean layer2) Sandwich-layer: ice surrounded by water3) Water layer above ice layer

Cooking recipe for lifeLife also needs:

- Energy source (solar, thermal or chemical energy)- Minerals, building blocks of life- A place of reaction

The ocean floor is ideal for origin of life!

Which Ocean Layer will be Liquid?

hot

cold

shallow

deep

large

small

Surface Temperature

Ocean Thickness

Planet Size

More information

PICO-Presentation

Noack et al.

Fr., 13:30-15:00

PICO spot 1, EGU2014-14725