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Earth's surface is dominated by the ocean, which forms 75% of Earth's surface.. An ocean world, ocean planet or water world is a type of planet or natural satellite that contains a substantial amount of water in the form of oceans, as part of its hydrosphere, either beneath the surface, as subsurface oceans, or on the surface, potentially submerging all dry land.
Icy moons are a class of natural satellites with surfaces composed mostly of ice. An icy moon may harbor an ocean underneath the surface, and possibly include a rocky core of silicate or metallic rocks. [1] It is thought that they may be composed of ice II or other polymorph of water ice. [2] The prime example of this class of object is Europa.
The brine-rich water remains liquid, and its increased density causes this water to sink, setting the stage for the creation of a "brinicle". Its outer edges begin accumulating a layer of ice as the surrounding water, cooled by this jet to below its freezing point, ices up in a tubular or finger shape and becomes self-sustaining. The down ...
Furthermore, sea ice affects the movement of ocean waters. In the freezing process, much of the salt in ocean water is squeezed out of the frozen crystal formations, though some remains frozen in the ice. This salt becomes trapped beneath the sea ice, creating a higher concentration of salt in the water beneath ice floes.
Scientists believe they’ve discovered an ancient ocean floor comprising a new layer between Earth’s mantle and core.
Sea level is affected not only by the volume of the ocean basin, but also by the volume of water in them. Factors that influence the volume of the ocean basins are: Plate tectonics and the volume of mid-ocean ridges: the depth of the seafloor increases with distance to a ridge, as the oceanic lithosphere cools and thickens.
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Overview of the cryosphere and its larger components [1]. The cryosphere is an umbrella term for those portions of Earth's surface where water is in solid form. This includes sea ice, ice on lakes or rivers, snow, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, and frozen ground (which includes permafrost).