Archive for October 6, 2015

Erkin | October 6, 2015
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Are there oceans on other planets?

Earth is the only known planet to have bodies of liquid water on its surface.

et-oceans

Europa is thought to have subsurface liquid water. Scientists hypothesize that Europa’s hidden ocean is salty, tidal, and causes its ice surface to move, resulting in large fractures which are clearly visible in the above image. Although Europa is thought to have the ingredients needed to support life — water, energy, organic compounds — it lies outside of our solar system’s habitable zone.

Currently, Earth is the only known planet (or moon) to have consistent, stable bodies of liquid water on its surface. In our solar system, Earth orbits around the sun in an area called the habitable zone. The temperature, along with an ample amount of atmospheric pressure within this zone, allows water to be liquid for long periods of time. Read more

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Erkin | October 2, 2015
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Think Ocean Water is Gross? Sand Is Way Grosser

Some people like to stick to the sand when they go to the beach. The ocean can harbor sewage-related fecal contamination and a random infectious bacteria infestation or two. But it turns out that those who stay beach-side are actually making the more disgusting choice. New research shows that sand can be even more contaminated than ocean water.

001Chemists from the University of Hawaii recently learned that levels of fecal bacteria in beach sand can be up to 100 times higher than in the water nearby. And, being scientists, they immediately set out to discover why. Their task was more daunting than they initially thought: a majority of studies on marine beach bacteria have taken place in water, not sand. Read more

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