Science

Eugene

(61,899 posts) Thu Aug 11, 2016, 09:59 PM Aug 2016

NASA Climate Model Suggests Planet Venus May Have Been Livable

Source: Tech Times

NASA Climate Model Suggests Planet Venus May Have Been Livable

11 August 2016, 8:04 pm EDT By Rhodi Lee Tech Times

The planet Venus that scientists know today is a hellish world characterized by a carbon dioxide atmosphere that is 90 times thicker than the Earth's atmosphere.

The planet has almost no water vapor and with surface temperatures reaching up to 864 degrees Fahrenheit, the idea that the second planet from the sun can host life as we know it may seem far out.

Projections of a NASA climate model, however, have revealed that planet Venus may have once been habitable. The planet may have once hosted a shallow and liquid-water ocean and a habitable surface temperature.

Scientists working at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) developed a model similar to those used by climate scientists to explore the past history of Venus. They wanted to know if the planet may once had conditions similar to those in habitable Earth despite of its hot water-less surface and carbon dioxide-choked atmosphere.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/173428/20160811/nasa-climate-model-suggests-planet-venus-may-have-been-livable.htm

7 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

NASA Climate Model Suggests Planet Venus May Have Been Livable (Original Post) Eugene Aug 2016 OP

I wonder how its rotational period would have affected things. Warren DeMontague Aug 2016 #1

Another important point PJMcK Aug 2016 #3

Well not currently but maybe it did a few billion years ago, there are cstanleytech Aug 2016 #4

I wonder about that - does that apply below an ocean surface too? muriel_volestrangler Aug 2016 #7

2000 years in the future: Mars News: Model Suggests Planet Earth May Have Been Livable. nt Javaman Aug 2016 #2

Heh Joisey Boy Aug 2016 #5

I was thinking this. Lol JesterCS Aug 2016 #6

Warren DeMontague

(80,708 posts)

1. I wonder how its rotational period would have affected things.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Thu Aug 11, 2016, 11:02 PM

Aug 2016

Its day is almost as long as its year, IIRC. (I see they talk about this in the article)

Also, it appears venus does not have plate tectonics as we understand them. Rather, the heat in the mantle, not given any gradual method of releasing itself, builds up until venus undergoes a massive event of vulcanism and resurfacing, the last one taking place like 600 million yrs ago.

It is hypothesized that the lack of water is involved, or rather that the situation is unlike earth, where oceans and surface water may facilitate plate tectonics.

At least that is one state of current theory as i remember it.

PJMcK

(22,037 posts)

3. Another important point

Reply to Warren DeMontague (Reply #1)

Sat Aug 13, 2016, 09:55 PM

Aug 2016

Venus does not have a planetary magnetic field. Without a magnetosphere, too many high energy particles from the Sun would make life nearly impossible on Venus.

cstanleytech

(26,293 posts)

4. Well not currently but maybe it did a few billion years ago, there are

Reply to PJMcK (Reply #3)

Sat Aug 13, 2016, 10:47 PM

Aug 2016

just really alot of unknowns and right now its just speculation much like its just speculation until its proven that there might be life on other planets in our solar system.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,321 posts)

7. I wonder about that - does that apply below an ocean surface too?

Reply to PJMcK (Reply #3)

Tue Aug 23, 2016, 05:33 AM

Aug 2016

If life develops around hot undersea vents, as is widely hypothesised, would that really be significantly affected by high energy particles, with all that water shielding it? Or is it just life at the surface that's affected by solar radiation?