SPACE — Scientists claim to have discovered a new and easier way to identify signs of a habitable planet. One of the main conditions that show signs of life is the presence of liquid water on the planet’s surface.
Until now, according to scientists, there is no practical method to measure the presence of these substances. Now, however, researchers claim to have discovered what they call a “new sign of sustainability.”
This signature helps identify whether a planet is capable of hosting and storing liquid water on its surface. This process involves measuring the amount of carbon in the planet’s atmosphere. The results are then compared with measurements taken from neighboring planets.
According to researchers, if a planet has a lower amount of CO2 in its atmosphere compared to its neighbors, it indicates the presence of liquid water on its surface.
The theory is that CO2 in the planet’s atmosphere is leaching into the oceans (as on Earth) or being absorbed by planetary-scale biomass.
Amaury Triaud, professor of exoplanetology at the University of Birmingham, said measuring the amount of carbon in a planet’s atmosphere is quite easy. This is because CO2 is a strong absorber of infrared.
“By comparing the amount of CO2 in the atmospheres of different planets, we can use this new sustainability signature to identify planets that have oceans, which makes them more likely to support life,” he said.
The team says their sustainability signature could also determine markers of life on other planets.
Dr Julien de Wit, assistant professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said life on Earth accounts for 20 percent of the total CO2 captured. The rest is mostly absorbed by the ocean.
“On other planets, this figure could be much greater. One of the main signs of carbon consumption by biology is oxygen emissions,” he said.
Oxygen can turn into ozone, and it turns out that ozone has a detectable signature right next to CO2. “So, looking at both carbon dioxide and ozone at the same time can give us information about sustainability, but also about the presence of life on the planet.”
In addition to developing new ways to identify habitable planets, the scientists say their research could be used to provide deeper insight into environmental tipping points.
Prof Triaud said by examining CO2 levels in the atmospheres of other planets, scientists could measure sustainability empirically and compare it with theoretical ones.
“This helps gather context for the climate crisis we face on Earth to know at what point carbon levels make a planet uninhabitable.
2023-12-28 20:25:00
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