Scientists have identified more than 4,000 confirmed planets outside of our solar system. Now research suggests that some of these exoplanets may actually be more hospitable to life than Earth itself. Because these planets are so far away—hundreds, even thousands of light-years away—scientists mainly learn about them through remote observations, using telescopes and other equipment. But to understand more about their characteristics and whether they could host life, researchers have developed sophisticated planetary models.
Existing models tend to overlook ocean dynamics, or the role that oceans play in transporting heat around a planet and regulating its climate. On Earth, these dynamics are crucial in determining the “productivity and distribution of life today and throughout the planet’s history,” according to research presented by University of Chicago geochemist Stephanie Olson at the recent Goldschmidt Geochemistry Congress in Barcelona.
Full article at : Newsweek
