Uranus and Neptune might hide vast oceans beneath their icy exteriors
- A scientist simulated the interiors of Uranus and Neptune, proposing they may each contain a vast ocean of water.
- This discovery could explain the unusual magnetic fields of both ice giants, which behave differently than those of other planets.
- The findings suggest that further study of these planets could enhance our understanding of their formation and magnetic behavior.
In a groundbreaking study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Burkhard Militzer, a planetary scientist from the University of California, Berkeley, simulated the interiors of Uranus and Neptune. He discovered that beneath their frigid outer atmospheres, these ice giants could harbor a layer of water approximately 5,000 miles thick. This research sheds light on the peculiar magnetic fields of both planets, which have puzzled scientists since the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past Uranus in 1986 and Neptune in 1989. Unlike Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, which possess well-defined magnetic fields, Uranus and Neptune exhibit magnetic fields that are tilted and offset from their centers. Militzer's hypothesis may provide an explanation for these anomalies, suggesting a substantial internal fluid layer could influence their magnetic properties.