Exoplanet Climate: Can Planets Have Multiple Liquid Layers?

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SUMMARY

Planets can indeed have multiple liquid layers, as demonstrated by Earth and gas giants like Jupiter. The Phase Diagram of Water illustrates that under varying pressure and temperature, different phases of water and other liquids can coexist. For instance, hydrocarbon lakes can float on water oceans, and CO2 can exist beneath water under high pressure, as seen in Lake Nyos. This phenomenon opens up possibilities for complex circulatory systems within these layers.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Phase Diagram of Water
  • Knowledge of planetary geology and atmospheric pressure effects
  • Familiarity with hydrocarbon properties and behavior
  • Basic concepts of fluid dynamics in planetary environments
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  • Research the Phase Diagram of Water in detail
  • Explore the geological features of gas giants like Jupiter
  • Investigate the properties of hydrocarbon lakes on Titan
  • Study the implications of high-pressure CO2 interactions with water
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Astronomers, planetary scientists, and geologists interested in the dynamics of planetary atmospheres and the potential for complex liquid systems on other planets.

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Is it possible for planets to have multiple liquid layers? Like a ocean made of water, with an ocean within, consisting of a heavier liquid. And could it have a sirculation, as water does on Earth?
 
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Brage Eidsvik said:
Is it possible for planets to have multiple liquid layers? Like a ocean made of water, with an ocean within, consisting of a heavier liquid. And could it have a sirculation, as water does on Earth?
Absolutely. It all depends on the pressure and temperature. As the Phase Diagram of Water below indicates:

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Brage Eidsvik said:
Is it possible for planets to have multiple liquid layers?

Earth does. It has molten rock layer.
 
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Earth even has lakes and rivers of brine deep under miles of ocean.

The gas giants should have multiple layers. Jupiter certainly does.
 
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Look closer at the Phase Diagram of Water, above. Ice XII, Ice X, and Ice Xi can be
solid - above the normal boiling point of water!

You could move a planet such as Jupiter, when moved
down to the orbit of Venus - and it still have all water present as
Ice ... if the atmospheric pressure is
high enough.
 
Brage Eidsvik said:
Is it possible for planets to have multiple liquid layers? Like a ocean made of water, with an ocean within, consisting of a heavier liquid. And could it have a sirculation, as water does on Earth?

Has been demonstrated by Exxon and BP. Hydrocarbon lakes or oceans will float on water oceans. You could have a water lake the bottom of a hydrocarbon ocean. You can also have CO2 under water if the pressure is high enough. Lake Nyos is an example on Earth.

Why would multi-layer oceans circulate less than a shallow oceans? Submarine CO2 oceans could have violent eruptions.
 

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