Artist’s depiction of a water world. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech

While the surface of the Earth is more than 70% covered by ocean, worlds covered by even greater expanses of water may be more common than previously thought.  We have previously posted about evidence of water on other bodies in our solar system. It is likely that there is water on Mars and Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede, may have vast underground oceans. Likewise the dwarf planet Ceres may contain more water than our planet Earth. Now, recent computer models suggest that most habitable planets may be “water worlds.”

Gizmodo reports that “a new study published in The Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society suggests that most habitable planets are wet. Like, extremely wet. Using computer models, astronomer Fergus Simpson from the Institute of Cosmos Science at the University of Barcelona found that habitable exoplanets, at least simulated ones, tend to be overrun by water, in most cases accounting for 90 percent or more of the total surface area.”

Another recent study suggests that many planets smaller than Jupiter beyond our solar system are “water worlds” rather than gas giants as previously thought. 

“New research published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences bolsters the growing case that water worlds are a common feature of the Milky Way. Using computer simulations, Harvard University astronomer Li Zeng and his colleagues presented new data showing that sub-Neptune-sized planets, that is, planets featuring radii about two to four times that of Earth, are likely to be water worlds, and not gas dwarfs surrounded by thick atmospheres as conventionally believed.”

Gizmodo reports that “new computer simulation suggests that not only are water worlds prevalent, they’re also teeming with water—and at mind-boggling scales. Imagine oceans that are hundreds, and even thousands, of kilometers deep.”