Scientists have largely thought that planets entirely enveloped in deep ocean would not be friendly to alien life. The idea is that these water worlds could not support the cycling of minerals and gases, the process that stabilizes the climate on Earth.
Keeping The Climate Stable
Study researchers Edwin Kite, from the University of Chicago, and Eric Ford, from Pennsylvania State University, however, found evidence suggesting it is possible that water worlds could be habitable.
It takes an extended period for life to evolve. Scientists hunting for extraterrestrial life often search for planets with both some water and some way to keep climates stable over time.
In the case of Earth, the planet cools itself over long timescales by drawing down the greenhouses gases into minerals. Our home planet then warms itself up by releasing these minerals through volcanic eruptions.
