Could a terrestrial planet have water for a core?












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There’s a planet called eaglypt whose surface is 100% barren desert. However, there is a twist: the planet’s core consists of liquid water, and there are a few places where this water seeps through the cracks and reaches the surface, where it creates fertile oases where civilizations can spring up, using the oases for irrigation. Is this realistic for a planet to exist like this or would it take serious artistic license for it to exist?










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    $begingroup$


    There’s a planet called eaglypt whose surface is 100% barren desert. However, there is a twist: the planet’s core consists of liquid water, and there are a few places where this water seeps through the cracks and reaches the surface, where it creates fertile oases where civilizations can spring up, using the oases for irrigation. Is this realistic for a planet to exist like this or would it take serious artistic license for it to exist?










    share|improve this question











    $endgroup$















      2












      2








      2





      $begingroup$


      There’s a planet called eaglypt whose surface is 100% barren desert. However, there is a twist: the planet’s core consists of liquid water, and there are a few places where this water seeps through the cracks and reaches the surface, where it creates fertile oases where civilizations can spring up, using the oases for irrigation. Is this realistic for a planet to exist like this or would it take serious artistic license for it to exist?










      share|improve this question











      $endgroup$




      There’s a planet called eaglypt whose surface is 100% barren desert. However, there is a twist: the planet’s core consists of liquid water, and there are a few places where this water seeps through the cracks and reaches the surface, where it creates fertile oases where civilizations can spring up, using the oases for irrigation. Is this realistic for a planet to exist like this or would it take serious artistic license for it to exist?







      reality-check planets water deserts






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      edited 4 hours ago









      L.Dutch

      80.4k26192391




      80.4k26192391










      asked 4 hours ago









      The Weasel SagasThe Weasel Sagas

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          3 Answers
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          $begingroup$

          Water cannot remain fluid at the pressures of a terrestrial planet's core. However, it doesn't need to for your setting to be viable. The planet's crust could simply possess large, deep aquifers that provide water to oases. Some good examples of large aquifers beneath a desert are Australia's Great Artesian Basin, and the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System.






          share|improve this answer









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            $begingroup$

            For water to be at the core of the planet, it must mean that there are no other elements or components which are denser than water.



            Now, water is pretty dense, but nowhere dense as most of the metals or oxides.



            It can happen that only light elements are collected by gravity, but such a planet could not host life as we know it: no magnetic field to shield stellar wind, just to cite one big difference.






            share|improve this answer









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              It would take serious artistic license to exist, but...



              I do not believe a planet could naturally evolve into this state. The problem isn't actually pressure. People assume that the further down you go, the more pressure there is. It's true to an extent, but the closer to the center you get the less you experience gravity (zero gravity at the center!). Pressure is something that makes sense when you're talking about the crust or rigid mantle. But if it applied to the liquid core, every crack in the mantle would result in massive eruptions — but they don't.



              On the other hand, what you do get is heat. We don't really have proof of what's at the center of our planet, but a century of science has given us some really good guesses. We guess that there's a solid core. It's spinning at a different speed compared to the crust. Everything in the middle is subject to tremendous friction. Result = super heated rock. We think.



              From the perspective of "solid stuff slowly combines via gravity over bazillions of years until some fool stamps his feet and says, 'let's call it a planet,'" this model works very well — but it doesn't explain where water comes from and that's actually been something scientists have pondered for a long time.



              So, let's pretend that your world started as a honking lot of water orbiting a newly forming star and it starts to gather via gravity...



              Why not? It's your world. From this perspective your world has a very, very low average density. There may still be a solid core of stuff (almost everything sinks through water, which is a better than average argument against this, unless there's a honking lot of water) but the middle isn't molten rock, it's super heated water.



              And when the crust breaks, what you get is steam.



              The crust is similar to a Roman arch — it's all spun out such that the bedrock is very, very flat and uniform. There would be no mountains — no plate tectonics to speak of — hot water, unlike magma, doesn't have the mass to push the surface around, which means earthquakes are caused by the heating/cooling cycle of the sun and occur most often at what we would call the tropics of cancer and capricorn (latitudes of highest thermal gradient between the poles and the equator).



              This has the potential of meaning a lot of aquifers, but I'm having trouble keeping the land a desert. Water + sunlight = life. It would have to be a closer-to-the-sun planet such that the heat would burn off the water and the life. The consequence (thanks to the humidity) would be a lot of clouds, storms, and the night-side would get cold.



              At least that's what I think.





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                3 Answers
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                3 Answers
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                active

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                active

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                $begingroup$

                Water cannot remain fluid at the pressures of a terrestrial planet's core. However, it doesn't need to for your setting to be viable. The planet's crust could simply possess large, deep aquifers that provide water to oases. Some good examples of large aquifers beneath a desert are Australia's Great Artesian Basin, and the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System.






                share|improve this answer









                $endgroup$


















                  2












                  $begingroup$

                  Water cannot remain fluid at the pressures of a terrestrial planet's core. However, it doesn't need to for your setting to be viable. The planet's crust could simply possess large, deep aquifers that provide water to oases. Some good examples of large aquifers beneath a desert are Australia's Great Artesian Basin, and the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System.






                  share|improve this answer









                  $endgroup$
















                    2












                    2








                    2





                    $begingroup$

                    Water cannot remain fluid at the pressures of a terrestrial planet's core. However, it doesn't need to for your setting to be viable. The planet's crust could simply possess large, deep aquifers that provide water to oases. Some good examples of large aquifers beneath a desert are Australia's Great Artesian Basin, and the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System.






                    share|improve this answer









                    $endgroup$



                    Water cannot remain fluid at the pressures of a terrestrial planet's core. However, it doesn't need to for your setting to be viable. The planet's crust could simply possess large, deep aquifers that provide water to oases. Some good examples of large aquifers beneath a desert are Australia's Great Artesian Basin, and the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered 4 hours ago









                    Arkenstein XIIArkenstein XII

                    2,357425




                    2,357425























                        2












                        $begingroup$

                        For water to be at the core of the planet, it must mean that there are no other elements or components which are denser than water.



                        Now, water is pretty dense, but nowhere dense as most of the metals or oxides.



                        It can happen that only light elements are collected by gravity, but such a planet could not host life as we know it: no magnetic field to shield stellar wind, just to cite one big difference.






                        share|improve this answer









                        $endgroup$


















                          2












                          $begingroup$

                          For water to be at the core of the planet, it must mean that there are no other elements or components which are denser than water.



                          Now, water is pretty dense, but nowhere dense as most of the metals or oxides.



                          It can happen that only light elements are collected by gravity, but such a planet could not host life as we know it: no magnetic field to shield stellar wind, just to cite one big difference.






                          share|improve this answer









                          $endgroup$
















                            2












                            2








                            2





                            $begingroup$

                            For water to be at the core of the planet, it must mean that there are no other elements or components which are denser than water.



                            Now, water is pretty dense, but nowhere dense as most of the metals or oxides.



                            It can happen that only light elements are collected by gravity, but such a planet could not host life as we know it: no magnetic field to shield stellar wind, just to cite one big difference.






                            share|improve this answer









                            $endgroup$



                            For water to be at the core of the planet, it must mean that there are no other elements or components which are denser than water.



                            Now, water is pretty dense, but nowhere dense as most of the metals or oxides.



                            It can happen that only light elements are collected by gravity, but such a planet could not host life as we know it: no magnetic field to shield stellar wind, just to cite one big difference.







                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered 4 hours ago









                            L.DutchL.Dutch

                            80.4k26192391




                            80.4k26192391























                                0












                                $begingroup$

                                It would take serious artistic license to exist, but...



                                I do not believe a planet could naturally evolve into this state. The problem isn't actually pressure. People assume that the further down you go, the more pressure there is. It's true to an extent, but the closer to the center you get the less you experience gravity (zero gravity at the center!). Pressure is something that makes sense when you're talking about the crust or rigid mantle. But if it applied to the liquid core, every crack in the mantle would result in massive eruptions — but they don't.



                                On the other hand, what you do get is heat. We don't really have proof of what's at the center of our planet, but a century of science has given us some really good guesses. We guess that there's a solid core. It's spinning at a different speed compared to the crust. Everything in the middle is subject to tremendous friction. Result = super heated rock. We think.



                                From the perspective of "solid stuff slowly combines via gravity over bazillions of years until some fool stamps his feet and says, 'let's call it a planet,'" this model works very well — but it doesn't explain where water comes from and that's actually been something scientists have pondered for a long time.



                                So, let's pretend that your world started as a honking lot of water orbiting a newly forming star and it starts to gather via gravity...



                                Why not? It's your world. From this perspective your world has a very, very low average density. There may still be a solid core of stuff (almost everything sinks through water, which is a better than average argument against this, unless there's a honking lot of water) but the middle isn't molten rock, it's super heated water.



                                And when the crust breaks, what you get is steam.



                                The crust is similar to a Roman arch — it's all spun out such that the bedrock is very, very flat and uniform. There would be no mountains — no plate tectonics to speak of — hot water, unlike magma, doesn't have the mass to push the surface around, which means earthquakes are caused by the heating/cooling cycle of the sun and occur most often at what we would call the tropics of cancer and capricorn (latitudes of highest thermal gradient between the poles and the equator).



                                This has the potential of meaning a lot of aquifers, but I'm having trouble keeping the land a desert. Water + sunlight = life. It would have to be a closer-to-the-sun planet such that the heat would burn off the water and the life. The consequence (thanks to the humidity) would be a lot of clouds, storms, and the night-side would get cold.



                                At least that's what I think.





                                share









                                $endgroup$


















                                  0












                                  $begingroup$

                                  It would take serious artistic license to exist, but...



                                  I do not believe a planet could naturally evolve into this state. The problem isn't actually pressure. People assume that the further down you go, the more pressure there is. It's true to an extent, but the closer to the center you get the less you experience gravity (zero gravity at the center!). Pressure is something that makes sense when you're talking about the crust or rigid mantle. But if it applied to the liquid core, every crack in the mantle would result in massive eruptions — but they don't.



                                  On the other hand, what you do get is heat. We don't really have proof of what's at the center of our planet, but a century of science has given us some really good guesses. We guess that there's a solid core. It's spinning at a different speed compared to the crust. Everything in the middle is subject to tremendous friction. Result = super heated rock. We think.



                                  From the perspective of "solid stuff slowly combines via gravity over bazillions of years until some fool stamps his feet and says, 'let's call it a planet,'" this model works very well — but it doesn't explain where water comes from and that's actually been something scientists have pondered for a long time.



                                  So, let's pretend that your world started as a honking lot of water orbiting a newly forming star and it starts to gather via gravity...



                                  Why not? It's your world. From this perspective your world has a very, very low average density. There may still be a solid core of stuff (almost everything sinks through water, which is a better than average argument against this, unless there's a honking lot of water) but the middle isn't molten rock, it's super heated water.



                                  And when the crust breaks, what you get is steam.



                                  The crust is similar to a Roman arch — it's all spun out such that the bedrock is very, very flat and uniform. There would be no mountains — no plate tectonics to speak of — hot water, unlike magma, doesn't have the mass to push the surface around, which means earthquakes are caused by the heating/cooling cycle of the sun and occur most often at what we would call the tropics of cancer and capricorn (latitudes of highest thermal gradient between the poles and the equator).



                                  This has the potential of meaning a lot of aquifers, but I'm having trouble keeping the land a desert. Water + sunlight = life. It would have to be a closer-to-the-sun planet such that the heat would burn off the water and the life. The consequence (thanks to the humidity) would be a lot of clouds, storms, and the night-side would get cold.



                                  At least that's what I think.





                                  share









                                  $endgroup$
















                                    0












                                    0








                                    0





                                    $begingroup$

                                    It would take serious artistic license to exist, but...



                                    I do not believe a planet could naturally evolve into this state. The problem isn't actually pressure. People assume that the further down you go, the more pressure there is. It's true to an extent, but the closer to the center you get the less you experience gravity (zero gravity at the center!). Pressure is something that makes sense when you're talking about the crust or rigid mantle. But if it applied to the liquid core, every crack in the mantle would result in massive eruptions — but they don't.



                                    On the other hand, what you do get is heat. We don't really have proof of what's at the center of our planet, but a century of science has given us some really good guesses. We guess that there's a solid core. It's spinning at a different speed compared to the crust. Everything in the middle is subject to tremendous friction. Result = super heated rock. We think.



                                    From the perspective of "solid stuff slowly combines via gravity over bazillions of years until some fool stamps his feet and says, 'let's call it a planet,'" this model works very well — but it doesn't explain where water comes from and that's actually been something scientists have pondered for a long time.



                                    So, let's pretend that your world started as a honking lot of water orbiting a newly forming star and it starts to gather via gravity...



                                    Why not? It's your world. From this perspective your world has a very, very low average density. There may still be a solid core of stuff (almost everything sinks through water, which is a better than average argument against this, unless there's a honking lot of water) but the middle isn't molten rock, it's super heated water.



                                    And when the crust breaks, what you get is steam.



                                    The crust is similar to a Roman arch — it's all spun out such that the bedrock is very, very flat and uniform. There would be no mountains — no plate tectonics to speak of — hot water, unlike magma, doesn't have the mass to push the surface around, which means earthquakes are caused by the heating/cooling cycle of the sun and occur most often at what we would call the tropics of cancer and capricorn (latitudes of highest thermal gradient between the poles and the equator).



                                    This has the potential of meaning a lot of aquifers, but I'm having trouble keeping the land a desert. Water + sunlight = life. It would have to be a closer-to-the-sun planet such that the heat would burn off the water and the life. The consequence (thanks to the humidity) would be a lot of clouds, storms, and the night-side would get cold.



                                    At least that's what I think.





                                    share









                                    $endgroup$



                                    It would take serious artistic license to exist, but...



                                    I do not believe a planet could naturally evolve into this state. The problem isn't actually pressure. People assume that the further down you go, the more pressure there is. It's true to an extent, but the closer to the center you get the less you experience gravity (zero gravity at the center!). Pressure is something that makes sense when you're talking about the crust or rigid mantle. But if it applied to the liquid core, every crack in the mantle would result in massive eruptions — but they don't.



                                    On the other hand, what you do get is heat. We don't really have proof of what's at the center of our planet, but a century of science has given us some really good guesses. We guess that there's a solid core. It's spinning at a different speed compared to the crust. Everything in the middle is subject to tremendous friction. Result = super heated rock. We think.



                                    From the perspective of "solid stuff slowly combines via gravity over bazillions of years until some fool stamps his feet and says, 'let's call it a planet,'" this model works very well — but it doesn't explain where water comes from and that's actually been something scientists have pondered for a long time.



                                    So, let's pretend that your world started as a honking lot of water orbiting a newly forming star and it starts to gather via gravity...



                                    Why not? It's your world. From this perspective your world has a very, very low average density. There may still be a solid core of stuff (almost everything sinks through water, which is a better than average argument against this, unless there's a honking lot of water) but the middle isn't molten rock, it's super heated water.



                                    And when the crust breaks, what you get is steam.



                                    The crust is similar to a Roman arch — it's all spun out such that the bedrock is very, very flat and uniform. There would be no mountains — no plate tectonics to speak of — hot water, unlike magma, doesn't have the mass to push the surface around, which means earthquakes are caused by the heating/cooling cycle of the sun and occur most often at what we would call the tropics of cancer and capricorn (latitudes of highest thermal gradient between the poles and the equator).



                                    This has the potential of meaning a lot of aquifers, but I'm having trouble keeping the land a desert. Water + sunlight = life. It would have to be a closer-to-the-sun planet such that the heat would burn off the water and the life. The consequence (thanks to the humidity) would be a lot of clouds, storms, and the night-side would get cold.



                                    At least that's what I think.






                                    share











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                                    answered 40 secs ago









                                    JBHJBH

                                    41.9k592202




                                    41.9k592202






























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