“We know that many exoplanets are completely uninhabitable because they are either too close or too far from their Sun. An exoplanet’s habitable zone is based on its distance from the Sun and temperatures at which it is possible for the planet to have liquid water. But until now, most habitability models have neglected the impact of oceans on climate,” explained Prof David Stevens from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK, who is a co-author on the study. Prof Stevens and his colleagues created a computer simulated pattern of ocean circulation on a hypothetical ocean-covered Earth-like exoplanet.
They looked at how different planetary rotation rates would impact heat transport with the presence of oceans taken into account. “Oceans have an immense capacity to control climate. They are beneficial because they cause the surface temperature to respond very slowly to seasonal changes in solar heating. And they help ensure that temperature swings across a planet are kept to tolerable levels,” Prof Stevens said.
“This new model will help us to understand what the climates of other planets might be like with more accurate detail than ever before".
