Phase Diagram of Water (IMAGE)
Caption
The phase diagram shows the state of water (H2O) under very high pressure (X-axis) and temperature conditions (Y-axis). These conditions apply in the interior of the ice planets Uranus and Neptune (dark grey field), where states are reached in which the water becomes electrically conductive and is thus able to generate magnetic fields (red dotted area). For comparison: At the core-mantle boundary of the Earth at a depth of approx. 2900 kilometres, temperatures of between 3000-4000 Kelvin and pressures of around 135 gigapascals (GPa) are assumed. This pressure corresponds to almost 14 tonnes per square millimetre.
Credit
S. Lobanov, GFZ
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