Discussion Overview
The discussion centers on the presence of liquid water in Uranus and Neptune, exploring whether these planets contain oceans of liquid water or other forms of water under extreme conditions. The scope includes theoretical considerations and interpretations of planetary composition.
Discussion Character
- Debate/contested
- Technical explanation
Main Points Raised
- Some participants question the existence of liquid water in Uranus, suggesting it is a gas planet, while expressing uncertainty about Neptune.
- One participant proposes that both Uranus and Neptune contain large quantities of water, but only at their cores, where it is frozen and mixed with gases due to the planets' distance from the sun.
- Another participant asserts that there are no oceans of liquid water in the conventional sense on either planet, suggesting that any water present exists in a slurry form under extreme temperatures and pressures.
- A participant references a source indicating that the ice mantle is not composed of conventional ice but rather a hot, dense fluid of water, ammonia, and other volatiles, sometimes referred to as a water-ammonia ocean.
- There is a discussion about the classification of Uranus and Neptune as ice giants, noting that their bulk compositions differ significantly from gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn.
- One participant challenges another for allegedly plagiarizing information from Wikipedia, leading to a defense of the use of the source.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express differing views on the existence and nature of water in Uranus and Neptune, with no consensus reached regarding the presence of liquid water or the classification of the materials within these planets.
Contextual Notes
There are unresolved questions regarding the definitions of "oceans" in the context of these planets, the exact composition of their interiors, and the varying models that may lead to different interpretations of their mass and structure.