In the search for life elsewhere in the universe, scientists have traditionally looked for planets with liquid water at their surface.
But, rather than flowing as oceans and rivers, much of a planet’s water can be locked in rocks deep within its interior. Scientists from the University of Cambridge now have a way to estimate how much water a rocky planet can store in its subterranean reservoirs. It is thought that this water, which is locked into the structure of minerals deep down, might help a planet recover from its initial fiery birth.
