All Questions
Tagged with water-bodies planets
15 questions
17
votes
11
answers
4k
views
What could lead a large ocean on a planet's surface to recede completely only to reappear later on in a cyclical process?
I don't just mean tides or large-scale floods and droughts but a premise where one or more large bodies of water (or even every such body if that makes it easier) disappear, only to reappear one or ...
- 471
7
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Is orangeish water possible on an alien planet with advanced life?
A planet little bigger than earth with slightly less gravity.
Colder than the earth, with longer days and shorter years. And water prevalence: 32% (23% surface water and 9% subterranean) and two moons....
- 457
5
votes
3
answers
257
views
How to Cause a Hydrosphere Apocalypse Part I The Great Drought
This is part one of a two part question. Part two can be found her (How to Cause a Hydrosphere Apocalypse Part II The Great Flood)
Desert planets are a staple of science fiction. And while we have ...
- 2,333
2
votes
2
answers
383
views
How long does it take for an eclipse to cause the ocean surface to freeze?
I am working with a story. I wish to make my story somewhat logical by adding some science and thereby not making it to appear fantasy.
This story is on a fictional planet far away from Earth. Let's ...
- 803
16
votes
3
answers
3k
views
A planet with all of its water underground
Question: Could a planet contain all of its (vast) oceans underground?
I imagined a planet with no surface oceans - and no water cycle above ground - but where life was still possible.
My initial ...
- 707
6
votes
8
answers
580
views
How might a life-sustaining planet exist with an "atmospheric ocean"?
This might be a little difficult to explain, but basically: the concept of "atmospheric ocean" is a gas that is found pretty much everywhere on the planet. Probably very dense and sinks to the surface,...
- 1,241
20
votes
5
answers
4k
views
The Reality of a River World
In a setting I am presently working on, I have envisioned a world similar to Star Wars' Takodana, in that its water is mainly in the form of large rivers, or smaller seas (I generally picture it ...
user19838
19
votes
7
answers
4k
views
What's the quickest way to add oceans to a planet?
After writing this question about the ecology of a terraformed planet, I realized that I hadn't quite tied up all the loose ends of the terraforming process itself. I intended for a group of aliens ...
- 102k
19
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How long can a river physically be on a planet?
How long can a river be? Are there any physical limits on its length, coming from the necessary altitude drop, the triple point of water, or other factors? You can alter whatever parameters you find ...
- 199
4
votes
5
answers
3k
views
How would it be possible to have a world of mostly jungle? [duplicate]
Recently I was making planets again and I was wondering if it was possible to have a world consist of mostly jungle and rain forest biomes. Also with that I was wondering what would need to be the ...
- 895
6
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Is it possible for a planet to be devoid of polar ice caps?
I know water is required for life on a planet so I got to thinking, is it possible for a world to be a functional planet (plants animals etc.) without polar ice caps and if so, how would it work ...
- 895
4
votes
2
answers
443
views
Desert planet's atmosphere and cavern system?
Ok, so I have this planet that I am still building.
It is a desert planet, its surfice is almost completely arid with a few exceptions such as snow deserts in the poles. There is sentient life in ...
- 68
11
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Permanent settlements on the surface of ice
Suppose a planet is covered with floating ice on top of water ocean and has no dry land.
Would it be possible to establish permanent settlements, cities?
Particularly I am interested in technologies ...
- 5,360
36
votes
5
answers
7k
views
What would the problems with / consequences of a torus shaped planet be?
Take a torus planet:
It has the structure of a normal planet (ours):
The diagram is not to scale. Assume similar proportions of Crust:Mantle:Cores as the Earth. Is has a similar volume (close to 1.1 ...
- 1,247
12
votes
5
answers
10k
views
Can liquid water exist on a planet without atmosphere?
One way, I think, is if the gravity is exactly correct. However, while I think the water might be in a unstable equilibrium, I have been unable to work out the mathematics. Let's assume that such a ...
- 311